US to transfer embassy staff amid Bahrain unrest

Manama: The US State Department says it is moving American Embassy employees to safer locations in Bahrain after ongoing political unrest elevated security worries in the strategic Gulf kingdom.

The statement issued late on Monday says that frequent clashes along a main highway in Manama have forced people to remain indoors and have disrupted travel.

It says embassy staff and their families are being shifted to other neighbourhoods to avoid the violence, which often includes tear gas and stun grenades from security forces.