Saudi Arabia is reportedly denying permission to its Shias citizens to visit Bahrain while trying to downplay the crisis in the neighboring island nation.
Simmering anti-Saudi sentiments in Bahrain also prompted officials in the region's powerhouse to shut down the King Fahd Causeway, a bridge that connects the two countries by land, for a month's period, reports said on Tuesday.
The reopening of the bridge in April also came amid tightened security measures by the Saudi side, which has banned Shia commuters from crossing into Bahraini territory.
Meanwhile, the Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry spokesman rushed to deny reports in Middle Eastern news websites amid reports of attacks on Saudi nationals in Bahrain.
The denial is deemed as part of attempts by officials in Riyadh to downplay the extent of the security and humanitarian crises in the Persian Gulf nation.
Resentment against Saudi officials has reached an unprecedented height in Bahrain, where the kingdom's military interventions have resulted in the death of dozens of peaceful demonstrators.
On March 14, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates deployed police and military forces in Bahrain upon a request by Manama to help quell nationwide protests demanding the end of the Al Khalifa rule.
Scores of people have been killed and hundreds have been wounded or tortured by Bahraini and Saudi troops.
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