Bahraini troops arrest five children in raids on village of Shia leader

Bahraini forces have arrested five children during raids across the besieged village of Diraz, which is home to the spiritual leader of the country’s Shia majority, Sheikh Isa Qassim.

Bahraini forces have arrested five children during raids across the besieged village of Diraz, which is home to the spiritual leader of the country’s Shia majority, Sheikh Isa Qassim.

Troops raided the village outside the capital Manama in the early hours of Monday, arresting Hussein Muhammad Saleh, Sayed Ali al-Sayed TahaFadl, Sayed Mortada Sayed Sadiq, Montazer Ali Mirza al-Rayes and Sayed Ahmed Sayed Musa, the Arabic-language Bahrain Mirror news website reported.

The arrests come despite the Bahraini authorities’ promises to release children detained as part of the regime crackdown on the opposition.

Local sources have said most of the recently arrested children are under 15. They added that the Al Khalifah regime unjustifiably detained the children to exert pressure on their parents.

Scores of people have lost their lives and hundreds of others sustained injuries as a result of the Al Khalifah regime’s crackdown on dissent.