Manama: The British embassy in Bahrain was the likely target of the bomb blast early yesterday in downtown Manama, an interior ministry spokesman said.
"Taking into consideration the location of the blast, the nearest target is the British embassy," Lieutenant Colonel Saleh Salem said.
The spokesman did not rule out links between the blast and the high anti-Britain feelings in Iran, saying that "all possibilities are open at this stage of the investigations."
However, he said that there was no doubt that the inflammatory speeches by Iran's officials "sparked reactions in Bahrain."
"There is also the training on dangerous devices and substances in Syria that we had noted," he said.
The blast occurred after midnight and was caused by explosives placed under the front left wheel of a mini bus parked near the wall of the British embassy and about 50 metres from the main building, the spokesman said.
Damaged
"The explosion blew off the wheel, shattered the windshield and the left side windows and damaged the front of the vehicle," he said.
Five cars parked near the blast site on Government Avenue were also damaged in the blast.
The embassy is located in the Ras Romman area, a few blocks away from the centre of the capital.
"Given the strength of the explosion and the debris it scattered, it was a highly-explosive substance. Debris was found approximately 32 metres from the blast site. The explosion also left a 30-centimetre crater under the vehicle," he said. "We thank God that there were no injuries or loss of life in the incident."
However, he said that the material used in the blast was still being examined at the ministry's laboratories.
Security around diplomatic missions in Manama has been beefed up and the interior ministry has urged citizens and residents to report any "suspicious car stationed near vital establishments," the spokesman said.
Earlier, a staff told Gulf News that the embassy remained open and that it was "business as usual" for the diplomatic mission ahead of the two-day public holiday to mark Ashura.
