The US will resume some military sales to Bahrain despite concerns linked to months of  protests in the kingdom, the State Department said on Friday.

The Obama administration notified Congress that certain sales would be allowed for Bahrain's Defense Force, coast guard and national guard, although it would maintain a hold on TOW missiles, Humvees and some other items for now, the department said in a statement.

The State Department did not give a total value for the items being released but emphasized that the equipment being approved was 'not used for crowd control'.

US officials said among the sales now allowed to go forward would be harbour security vessels and upgrades to turbo-fan engines used in F-16 fighter aircraft as well as legislation which could pave the way for a future sale of a naval frigate.

Items still on hold, besides the missiles and the Humvees, include teargas, teargas launchers and stun grenades.

The resumption of military sales follows a visit to Washington this week by Bahrain Crown Prince Salman Hamid al-Khalifa, who met Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.

'The Vice President expressed concern about the recent escalation of street violence, including attacks against security forces,' the White House said.

In October, the Obama administration delayed $53 million in planned sales to Bahrain pending the outcome of a local investigation into alleged human rights abuses since an uprising began in February 2011.

The original $53 million sale proposal included 44 Humvee armored vehicles and several hundred TOW missiles along with associated equipment. Prime contractors would be privately held AM General and Raytheon Co. – Reuters