After allowing several days of rallies in the capital of Manama by disaffected Shiites, the island nation's Sunni rulers unleashed riot police who stormed a protest encampment in Pearl Square before dawn, firing tear gas, beating demonstrators or blasting them with shotgun sprays of birdshot. Along with two who died in clashes with police Monday, the new killings brought the death toll this week in Bahrain to more than 15, including women and children.
The willingness to resort to violence against largely peaceful demonstrators was a sign of how deeply the monarchy fears the repercussions of a prolonged wave of protests.
Speaking to reporters after an emergency meeting with his Gulf counterparts in Manama to discuss the unrest, he called the violence "regrettable," said the deaths would be investigated and added that authorities chose to clear the square by force at 3 a.m. - when the fewest number of people would be in the square - "to minimize any possibility of casualties." Many of the protesters were sleeping and said they did not receive any warning of the assault.
In the wake of the bloodshed, angry demonstrators who milled around one hospital for treatment or to transport wounded friends and relatives chanted: "The regime must go!"
They stomped on and burned pictures of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa outside the emergency ward at Salmaniya Medical Complex, the main hospital where most of the casualties were taken.
"We are even angrier now," shouted Makki Abu Taki, after viewing the birdshot-riddled body of his son in the hospital morgue. "They think they can clamp down on us, but they have made us angrier. We will take to the streets in larger numbers and honor our martyrs. The time for Al Khalifa has ended."
The Obama administration expressed alarm over the violent crackdown. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called the foreign minister to register Washington's "deep concern" and urge restraint. Similar criticism came from Britain and the European Union, and Human Rights Watch urged Bahraini authorities to order security forces to stop attacks on peaceful protesters.
Analysts said the wave of unrest has so concerned leaders in the Gulf that they are willing to risk bloodshed.
"It was one thing when it was happening in Tunisia and Egypt and another when it arrives on their doorstep," said Toby Jones, an expert on Bahrain at Rutgers University. "The (Gulf rulers) are closing ranks now and showing how they are prepared to deal with challenges to their power. Their first instinct is to act quickly. It may be messy, but they don't want this to linger.
"They see that (if) it can happen in Bahrain, it could happen anywhere - something that was unthinkable just weeks ago," Jones added.
Manama was effectively shut down. For the first time in the crisis, tanks and armored personnel carriers rolled into the streets and military checkpoints were set up. The Interior Ministry warned Bahrainis in mobile phone text messages to stay off the streets. Banks and other key institutions did not open, and workers stayed home, unable or to afraid to pass through checkpoints to get to their jobs.
Bahrain's parliament - minus opposition lawmakers who are staging a boycott - met in emergency session. One pro-government member, Jamila Salman, broke into tears. A leader of the Shiite opposition Abdul-Jalil Khalil said 18 lawmakers resigned to protest the killings.
Salmaniya hospital was thrown into chaos immediately after the police raid. A steady stream of dozens of wounded from the square were brought in by ambulances and private cars. Nurses rushed in men and women on stretchers, their heads bleeding, arms in casts, faces bruised. At the entrance, women wrapped in black robes embraced each other and wept.
Tanks in the Bahraini capital, Manama, prevent ambulances from taking the victims of clashes to hospitals, as the pro-democracy uprising in the country has entered its fourth day. The report also added that Bahraini security forces attack and beat medical workers who are helping the victims on Thursday. More than 10 ambulance paramedics attacked by police.
According to informed sources army attacked empty handed defenseless people which thousands people martyred and injured.
There is not exactly information about the killed persons, but according to informed sources more than 20 Shia people martyred and more than 3 thousands injured. It includes 2000 youths, 400 old men, 250 women, 70 children, which about 300 of the injured are in critical conditions.
Shia organizations invited more than a million people to participate the biggest anti government protests in the country on saturday.
Due to clashes between army and Shia protesters in Bahain, 60 protesters have gone missing since last night.
A top defence ministery officer and other 12 high ranking internal ministery agents imprisoned due to their refusal of killing innocent people.
It is said that 4 ministers including Health minister, Foreign minister, Reconciliation minister and one more have resigned according to local news.
With tensions rising, Saudi Arabia intervened the Bahrain affairs by sending 150 Tanks and 100 personnel carriers from Qatar to crack down Shia protesters. Troops from Kuwait, India, Pakistan Entered Bahrain to Crack Down Protesters, Witnesses Say.
According to Reuters: Bahrain high ranking officers held emergency meeting of Gulf Arab foreign ministers in Manama.
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