The king of Bahrain Sheikh Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa has declared a state of emergency which will last for three months. The announcement follows weeks of unrest in the kingdom. King “authorized the commander of Bahrain’s defense forces to take all necessary measures to protect the safety of the country and its citizens,” said a statement on television. The order will come into force from Tuesday.

Sectarian clashes broke out in different parts of Bahrain overnight, with both Sunnis and Shi’ites trading accusations that they had been attacked by gangs of youths.

“Forces from the Gulf Cooperation Council have arrived in Bahrain to maintain order and security,” Nabeel al-Hamer, a former information minister  tweeted.

Share this:
Share this page via Email Share this page via Stumble Upon Share this page via Digg this Share this page via Facebook Share this page via Twitter