Manama, Asharq Al-Awsat—Bahraini police has uncovered more than 1.5 tons of explosive materials and a large bomb-making factory in two separate locations in a residential area south of the capital Manama, the interior ministry said on Wednesday.

The discovery was made during a counterterrorism campaign that also resulted in the arrest of several terror suspects and escaped convicts in terrorism cases, the Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported.

Those arrested were found to have close links to “terrorist elements in Iraq and Iran,” the ministry said in a statement, and will be referred to the public prosecutor.

Bahrain has blamed neighboring Iran for several attacks on security forces that killed and wounded several people this year.

“This significant discovery marks yet another disturbing incident in which relentless Iranian actions are attempting to undermine security and stability within Bahrain and the wider region,” said the statement.

Forensic teams inspected the two sites and moved the highly explosive materials to a safe area, according to the ministry, after notifying Bahrain’s public prosecutor and taking all the required security and legal measures.

Both the cache of explosives and the bomb-factory were found in Nuweidrat, a residential district south of Manama.

The two sites have been designed to serve as bomb-manufacturing facilities and warehouses, the ministry said, adding that at least 1.5 tons of high-grade explosives and bomb-making materials, including C4, RDX and TNT, were found.

Among the items also found were ready made bombs, automatic weapons, guns and hand grenades as well as large quantities of ammunition and wireless devices.