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Bahrain Dismantles 15-Member Iran-Linked Terrorist Cell | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Members of the detained terrorist cell in Bahrain. (BNA)


Manama – Bahraini authorities announced on Sunday that they have dismantled and arrested a terrorist cell that planned and executed several terrorist attacks and was plotting to target senior figures and security forces in the country.

The Interior Ministry said that 15 individuals had been arrested, seven of whom are suspected of receiving overseas military training under the supervision of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), five trained with the Iraqi Hezbollah and three were trained inside Bahrain.

The ministry added that the cell was also plotting to target vital sites in the country.

The terrorist group’s members are suspected of operating under the direction of two convicted terrorists, Murtadha Majeed al-Sindi and Qassim Abdullah Ali, both of whom are wanted fugitives believed to be in Iran.

The US State Department in March included Sindi on its “Specially Designated Global Terrorists” list.

Those arrested have been identified as: Hussein Ahmed Abdullah Ali Ali (27), employee at a real estate company; Qassim Ahmed Ali Hassan al-Maliki (23), college student; Ahmed Ali Ali al-Shaikh (26) warehouse security guard at a private company; Ali Abdulrasool Ibrahim Mohammed Abdulhassan (29), Arabic teacher; Ali Jaafar Radhi Abdullah Abdulridha (26) employee at a private company; and Ali Abdullah Ali Ahmed al-Bana (32), unemployed. All these detainees were trained by the IRGC.

The following were all trained inside Bahrain: Ammar Ahmed Abdullah Ali Ahmed Ali (17), unemployed; Hassan Ismaeel Ibrahim Ahmed Nasser al-Oraibi (23), unemployed; and Ahmed Ali Mahdi Ali Hussein (25), trainee.

Hassan Ali Abduljabar Hassan Ahmed al-Hamar (27), sales manager; Ali Jaafar Abdullah Ali Ahmed Ali (24), employee at a private company; Yasser Ahmed Abdullah Ali Ahmed Ali (25), employee at a pharmacy; Ahmed Jassem Saeed Mehdi (24), accountant at a private company and Sayed Ali Mohammed Isa Hassan Al Musawi (32), driver at a private company were all trained by the Iraqi Hezbollah.

The authorities also seized a number of communication devices, which revealed the criminals had travelled to Iran several times during a short period of time, mounting up to 66 trips over the past few years. The trips were used for training on executing terrorist activities in Bahrain, in addition to buying supplies for commercial projects inside the country to be used as a front for their terrorist activities.

Security authorities said that material seized during the operation included automatic weapons, explosives, assembled bombs and bomb-making materials. Based on evidence gathered during the raids, members of the group were involved in the February 26 bomb blast in Durra Street, which injured five police officers.

The arrested men confessed to planning and executing terrorist activities, including targeting senior officials and security members.