Al-Khalifa Forces Impose Siege on Eker for 8th Day

Local Editor

Saudi-backed Bahraini forces have attacked anti-regime protesters and activists attempting to enter a besieged village in the east of the country. The security forces used toxic teargas canisters and rubber bullets to prevent the protesters from breaking the now-eight-day-long siege of the village of Eker. Several protesters were arrested and dozens more injured in violent clashes with the regime forces. Meanwhile, the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, a Cairo-based NGO devoted to promoting freedom of expression across the Middle East and North Africa, condemned the Manama regime’s use of systematic violence against peaceful demonstrators. On Monday, clashes erupted between regime forces and protesters near the village, during which at least three human rights activists, including Zainab al-Khawaja, the daughter of jailed opposition leader, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, were arrested. Khawaja said earlier that the protesters were taking food and medical supplies to the village’s residents. Bahrain’s revolution began in mid-February 2011 when oppression-weary public, inspired by popular revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, started holding massive demonstrations against the ruling regime. The Bahraini government promptly launched a brutal crackdown on the peaceful protests and called in Saudi-led Arab forces from neighboring Persian Gulf states to help crack down on the demonstrations. The Peninsula Shield-backed security forces faced citizens with bombs and toxic gas, which injures a number of participants, including a serious injury by a sound grenade the forces fired at one citizen’s face. Despite more than a week passed on imposing the siege, the troops are still stationed in the vicinity of the region and its main and secondary entrances, accompanied with patrols of raids involving helicopters, horrifying incursions and illegal arrests, according to human rights organizations. Al-Khalifa forces have also tightened the noose by banning food ammunitions and ambulances from entering Eker. Legal sources confirmed that troops are surrounding the entire area from all sides turning it into a big prison, which reveals official organized targeting under the policy of collective punishment. River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!