Manama: Security authorities in Bahrain have seized an unprecedented amount of internationally sourced explosives and bomb-making materials that were to be used in terror attacks, the Ministry of Interior said.
“Authorities uncovered a sophisticated bomb-manufacturing facility that contained in excess of 1.5 tonnes of high-grade explosives, including C4-RDX, TNT, and other powerful chemical explosives in a counter-terrorism operation at a warehouse in a residential area in Nuwaidrat,” the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday evening. “The facility had been adapted to accommodate an elaborate network of hidden underground bunkers and an above-ground manufacturing operation.”
Nuwaidrat is a village about 10 kilometres south of the capital Manama.
The ministry said that a number of individuals suspected of being responsible for assembling and concealing explosive materials in the warehouse have been arrested, and “as with previous incidents throughout 2015, the terror suspects hold strong connections with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah.”
“This significant discovery marks yet another disturbing incident in which relentless Iranian actions are attempting to undermine security and stability within Bahrain and the wider region,” Chief of Police Major-General Tariq Al Hassan said.
“The sophistication of terrorist-related incidents in Bahrain has increased markedly during 2015, and the professionalism with which these materials are manufactured, concealed, and deployed is a clear indication of international support and sponsorship,” he said, Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported.
Those arrested have been linked to a number of terrorist incidents in Bahrain over recent years, and forensic tests of the materials discovered show similarities with explosives used in recent terrorist attacks in Bahrain, investigations showed, the ministry said .
