Iran hand in pipeline explosion in Bahrain : Minister

Manama : The oil pipeline explosion, which caused a major fire near the village of Buri on Friday night, was the result of an Iran-backed terrorist act, Interior Minister Lieutenant General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa said yesterday.

“Evidence gathered by the inspection team confirms that this was an intentional act carried out by terrorists to undermine the security of the Kingdom,” he said in a statement to the Police Media Centre.

“This is the latest example of a terrorist act carried out by terrorists in direct contact with, and under instruction from, Iran,” the minister said.

“Evidence gathered during the investigation confirmed that this was an act of terrorism designed to undermine the security of the Kingdom and its citizens. Further investigation is currently underway to identify the perpetrators of the crime and to bring them to justice. The Public Prosecution was informed of the incident,” the minister said.

The oil pipeline exploded on the southern sides of Buri village, opposite to Souq Waqif Area and Hamad Town in the Northern Governorate, on Friday evening. 

The fire lasted for a couple of hours,  caused no injuries to the residents of the village but damaged nearby homes and vehicles.

The minister visited the site on Friday to personally coordinate the relevant departments in the ministry to douse the blaze and secure the area, citizens and residents. He was accompanied by Chief of Public Security Major General Tariq Al Hassan and other ministry officials.