Manama: Bahrain's interior ministry has set up a hotline to encourage the public to assist in tracking down suspects and preventing crime.
The ministry also named 10 men who were allegedly involved in acts of sabotage and assault.
A statement issued by the ministry said that two of the suspects were involved in an assault on Muhannad Abu Zeitoun, the Managing Editor of Al Watan daily.
The duo attacked the 31-year-old Palestinian with a sharp object and tried to torch his car on August 25, as he was leaving the newspaper offices in East Riffa. They were remanded in custody for 60 days.
Two other suspects were arrested for their alleged role in starting a fire, which took days to extinguish, in a scrap yard.
Police say three of the suspects were involved in damaging the Sitra Power Station tower on August 20 and causing power cuts in many parts of the city centre. Only one suspect was arrested. The other two are still on the run.
Three other suspects were arrested for their alleged involvement in setting fire to the same station on July 8.
All the suspects, whose pictures were published by six of the seven daily newspapers in both Arabic and English, have been referred to the public prosecution.
In a statement carried by Bahrain News Agency on Monday, Shaikh Rashid Bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, the interior minister, reiterated his zero-tolerance commitment to doing away with vandalism. He warned of a tough clamp down on street violence.
Justice and Islamic Affairs Minister Shaikh Khalid Bin Ali Al Khalifa on Monday evening, noted that the security of the people of Bahrain was a priority of the government.
"It will never be subject to barter or a matter of politeness," he told politicians. "All citizens and NGOs should assume responsibility with increasing awareness about the threat of violence and sabotage."
Bahrain has witnessed a wave of recent clashes between rioters and police, following the arrest on August 13 of Haq Movement spokesman Abdul Jalil Al Singace and his supporters.
