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An Indian man was killed and another injured as five explosions rocked parts of Bahrain's capital Manama on Monday, also claiming the life of another Asian, as the country grappled with growing political and ethnic unrest.
The blasts, including one near the Indian embassy, were described by Bahrain's Prime Minister as a 'heinous' crime while the country's top police official said they were 'acts of terror'.
India's ambassador to Bahrain Mohan Kumar confirmed to PTI that one of the victims was an Indian who died when he accidentally stepped on an explosive device.
Another Indian, a municipal collector, was also injured during one of the explosions. "At five different locations home-made improvised explosive device went off in Bahrain this morning. Unfortunately, an Indian national named Murugayya was one of those killed. One of these blasts took place near the embassy," Kumar said.
He said the Indian officials were awaiting further details related to the incident.
According to the ambassador, Murugayya and his brother were walking down the road when he accidentally stepped on to one of these devices. "Another Indian, who was working as municipal collector touched a similar device on course of duty and his palms are badly damaged," the ambassador said, condemning the blasts that shook the country.
"We have also expressed hope and confidence that all Indians in Bahrain will be provided security," Kumar said. Reports reaching here said the second man who died was a Bangladeshi, though there was no official confirmation about this.
Bahrain's Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, condemned the blasts and said the culprits who have perpetuated these 'heinous crimes' will not be allowed to escape justice, according to Bahran News Agency.
The capital Manama was this morning shaken by a series of explosions in Qudhaibiya -- a residential and commercial area, and in Adliya, a posh locality.
"The second man, also an Asian, was killed when a bomb exploded near Awal Cinema in Qudhaibiya. He died in hospital," the police official said.
He added that a third man, an Asian street cleaner, was seriously injured after a homemade bomb exploded in Adliya. The nationalities of the other two victims were not immediately known but a bulk of Asian expatriates in the country come from Pakistan and Bangladesh, besides India.
"The public prosecution has been informed about the acts of terror and a search for the criminals has been launched," said the police official.
"We urge all nationals and expatriates to keep away from suspicious objects for their own safety and to call the police," he said. Last month, a security officer was killed in a bomb explosion in a village.