116 Arrested in Bahrain on Suspicion of Membership in an 'Iran-Linked' Network

Bahrain announced on Saturday that it had arrested 116 individuals on charges of being members of a 'terrorist' cell that it claims is linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard. In an official statement released by the Bahraini state news agency, it was reported that security agencies had thwarted several attacks during these operations and discovered large quantities of weapons and explosives. According to AFP, in this small Gulf nation, where the majority of the population is Shia, the ruling Sunni family has been suppressing critics and opponents since widespread protests erupted in 2011. The main demand of these protests was for the premiership to be elected and for a constitutional monarchy to be established in the country. Bahrain often claims that opposition leaders and activists have ties to the Shia government of Iran, but Iran denies any support for efforts to overthrow the Bahraini government. The Bahraini government claims that this cell was planning to target security officials and attack oil facilities and other sensitive installations. Bahrain accuses the detainees of being members of a cell formed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and claims that 48 of those arrested received military training in Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon. The statement further alleges that these individuals were trained to use explosives, light weapons, artillery, and RPGs, and that police seized 42 kilograms of powerful explosives, 757 kilograms of materials used to make bombs, and several Kalashnikov rifles and grenades during their arrest. AFP noted that Bahrain, a close ally of the United States and host to its Fifth Fleet, has faced severe criticism from human rights groups for its crackdown on dissent. In January, Bahraini police arrested 47 individuals on terrorism charges. Since the widespread protests in 2011, which were influenced by the Arab Spring, dozens have been imprisoned and stripped of their Bahraini citizenship. Last year, the king and parliament of Bahrain granted military courts the authority to try civilians accused of 'terrorism,' a term that has an ambiguous legal meaning. Those whose Bahraini citizenship has been revoked have also been expelled from the country. Last month, Bahrain accused Iran of training and arming two individuals accused of bombing a pipeline belonging to Saudi Aramco on the outskirts of Manama, but Iran dismissed these allegations as 'fabricated.'