Bahrain says around 450 explosives found since 2011, some in links with Iran

Bahrain said it has discovered around 450 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) since 2011, some in links with Iran, which have killed a total of 22 people including 11 policemen.

Bahrain's public security chief said on Saturday that they have arrested Bahrainis who were trained in camps run by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Hezbollah Brigades group in Iraq to manufacture the IEDs.

He was speaking during a special session of the 11th International Institute for Strategic Studies Regional Security Summit: The Manama Dialogue 2015.

The security chief said the first IED attack on police was recorded in April 2012, in which three policemen sustained serious injuries. During later security operations that targeted warehouses to store homemade explosive materials and ammunitions, they found, in some cases, military marking of Iran.

"We discovered 445 bombs in Bahrain that killed 22 people including eleven policemen," he said.

Some of the items seized by police such as C4, claymore, commercial detonators, EFPs, AK-47, Kalashnikov and other ammunitions were displayed for the delegates of the Manama Dialogue 2015.

He said they have exchanged information with the local embassies and the Interpol to arrest the masterminds who were operating from outside the country.

"We even know there are lot of efforts undertaken to recruit Bahrainis when they travel for religious purpose to Iraq and Iran," the chief added. Endit