Backed by tanks and helicopter gunships, army and riot police on Wednesday cracked down on anti-government protesters driving them out from a landmark square in the heart of Bahrain Capital leaving six people dead in firing and clashes.
Backed by tanks and helicopter gunships, army and riot police on Wednesday cracked down on anti-government protesters driving them out from a landmark square in the heart of Bahrain Capital leaving six people dead in firing and clashes, witnesses and officials said.
A day after King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa declared a three-month emergency and imposed martial law, hundreds of riot police swooped down on the protesters in an almost military-style assault at daybreak and overran the Pearl square in the city centre after a stiff scuffle with the protesters who have been camping there for four weeks.
Officials said three policemen were among the dead during the clashes.
Shortly after the crackdown, Bahrain authorities announced a curfew from 4.00pm to 4.00am in Pearl Square and its financial district.
The curfew will apply from Wednesday itself "until further notice," said an army spokesperson on Bahrain's state television. Rallies, marches, and sit-ins are also banned across the Gulf kingdom, he added.
At least three protesters died after police fired on mainly Shia protesters, according to local reports and an official.
Bahrain state TV reported that two policemen died when they were hit by a vehicle after anti-government protesters were driven out. The interior ministry also said at least one other policeman was killed, but did not give the cause.
Multiple explosions were heard and smoke was seen billowing over Central Manama, as the police with the help of armoured vehicles and helicopters hovering above set the protesters tents ablaze and scattered them into side streets, BBC reported.
Bahrain is the first Gulf country to be thrown into turmoil by the wave of unrest sweeping the Arab world.
The Pearl square had become a symbol of uprising by the majority Shia against the Sunni rulers of the tiny Gulf Kingdom, a nation of almost 550,000 people.
The Bahrain army action came two days after hundreds of Saudi-led foreign forces entered Bahrain as part of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) initiative to protect government facilities.
It was not immediately clear whether Wednesday's security clampdown involved Saudi troops.
Brandishing automatic weapons and wearing black face masks, Bahraini troops blocked all roads leading to the country's financial centre, where transactions have been disrupted by the protesters.
"This is war of annihilation. This is not acceptable," Abdul Jalil Khalil, head of the pro-Shiite 18 parliamentary member Wefaq party told Al Jazeera TV
An official statement read out on television said that the King had authorised the commander of Bahrain's defence forces to take all necessary measures to protect the safety of the country and its citizens.
Bahrain, which is home to US 5th Fleet, has been swept by protests over the last several weeks.
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