Bahrain joins Emirates in sending fighter planes to Jordan

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — The Gulf island nation of Bahrain says it has deployed fighter planes to Jordan, a day after it announced plans to send troops to the kingdom. Bahrain’s brief statement early Monday said the planes would "participate in the international efforts aiming to eliminate terrorism." It did not provide details, and military officials could not immediately be reached for comment. Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet and like Jordan is part of the U.S.-led coalition carrying out airstrikes against the Islamic State militant group. Gulf neighbor the United Arab Emirates previously deployed a squadron of F-16 fighters to Jordan. Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa visited Jordan last week, and his government on Sunday announced it was sending an unspecified number of troops to help support Jordan.

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Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain pull ambassadors from Qatar

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have issued a joint statement withdrawing their ambassadors from Qatar. "The three states have decided to start taking measures they see fit to protect their security and stability, affirming that they are safeguarding the interests of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, including neighbouring Qatar," the statement read. Qatar has failed to "stick to the principles of non-intervention in the internal affairs of other states and refraining from supporting all who threaten the security of the council states," the statement added. In response, Qatar said it "regrets" the move, but will not reciprocate, AFP reported Qatar’s emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani committed to a security agreement during a meeting with Kuwait’s emir and the Saudi monarch in Riyadh on 23 November 2013. Calls for Qatar to abide by the agreement were reiterated on 17 February in Kuwait and again during a […]

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Bahrain blast kills three policemen: Interior Ministry

An explosion killed three policemen in Bahrain on Monday during a protest in a village near the capital Manama, the Interior Ministry said, in one of the worst incidents of violence in recent months. The United Arab Emirates said one of its police officers, serving in a Gulf Cooperation Council force operating in the island kingdom, was among the three dead officers, according to the UAE state news agency WAM. The Bahraini Interior Ministry said on its Twitter account that a group of protesters had broken away from a mourning procession in the village of Daih and started blocking roads. The explosion took place as police were trying to disperse the rioters, it added. There was no immediate word on what had caused the blast. Both the UAE and Bahrain are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, a political and military alliance that also includes Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman […]

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Bahrain: Police officer dies after bomb blast

Bahraini authorities say a police officer wounded by a bombing on the third anniversary of the start of the Gulf island kingdom’s anti-government uprising has died. The Interior Ministry said Saturday that the officer was one of two injured in what it called a "terrorist blast" the day before in the village of Dair, near the country’s main airport. It did not identify the officer. The ministry also said it arrested 26 people suspected of rioting and vandalism Friday, the anniversary of widespread protests that began in 2011 and set off three years of ongoing unrest in the country. Activists say dozens of protesters have been wounded in recent clashes with police. Opposition groups dominated by the country’s majority Shiites are seeking political rights from the country’s Sunni rulers. © 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten […]

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Freed politician, thousands protest in Bahrain

AP Photo MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — Thousands of people have marched in the tiny Gulf kingdom of Bahrain, demanding more reforms in the country. Among the protesters Friday was prominent opposition figure Khalil al-Marzooq, freed Thursday as he faces charges of encouraging violence. He has denied any support for bombings and other attacks, which have been on the rise. Protesters chanted anti-government slogans Friday and some masked youths confronted police. An Associated Press journalist saw police fire tear gas at demonstrators. Bahrain has been gripped by nonstop unrest after the kingdom’s Shiite majority began an uprising in early 2011 calling for a greater political voice. Many protesters and other senior opposition figures have been jailed during crackdowns in the strategic island nation, which is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet. © 2013 The Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or […]

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