Manama: Bahrain’s interior ministry says two policemen have been wounded, one critically, when a homemade bomb exploded in a village southwest of the capital, Manama.

The ministry said in a statement on its official Twitter feed that the explosion happened early Tuesday in the village of Demistan. The area has been the scene of frequent clashes between anti-government activists and Bahrain security forces.

More than 65 people have been killed in violence since protests led by the country’s opposition began in February 2011 calling for a greater political voice in the nation. Some rights groups place the death toll higher.

Anti-government factions have been increasingly deploying bombs targeting government forces.