Riyadh: Bahrain has arrested two men suspected of planting a bomb that killed a Bahraini woman in late June and of having received training and support from Iran, the interior ministry said on Tuesday.
A ministry statement identified a third suspect in the blast, but said he had fled to Iran.
The bomb blast occurred on a road as the woman passed in her car in the village of East Eker, south of the capital Manama, on June 30, the statement said. Shrapnel hit the car, killing her and injuring her three children.
The statement accused the three men of receiving training in weapons and explosives from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. One man travelled to Iran for his training, it said.
Bahrain has been plagued by sporadic violence and bomb attacks largely aimed at security forces since 2011, when the authorities put down anti-government protests by majority opposition activists.
Bahraini accusations that Iran has fomented protests have been denied by Tehran.
The Gulf kingdom is seen by its neighbours as a strategic bulwark against Iranian influence.
US Vice-President Joe Biden called Bahrain’s king the day after the June 30 bombing to express “strong concerns” about recent developments in the country.
