An explosive device was detonated last night (July 17) in a crowded parking area of a mosque in the West Riffa district of Bahrain, a report said.

The bomb, a combination of gas cylinders and homemade explosives, was inside a car. It went off following evening prayers at around 8.25pm, according to the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

However, no injuries were reported.

The entire area was cordoned off by police when the GDN arrived at the scene, where forensic experts and crime scene photographers were investigating the blast.

"The car exploded after Isha prayer between 8.20pm and 8.30pm causing no injuries and damaging one civilian vehicle," said an Interior Ministry official, who was present at the scene.

"The parking lot was still full at the time. The car was a sport utility vehicle. The bomb was homemade, but parts of a gas cylinder have been found.

"It is suspected that the blast was caused by a separate homemade bomb."

It is understood that the car's licence plate was stolen as officers tried to piece it together at the scene.

Meanwhile, His Majesty King Hamad's media affairs adviser Nabeel Al Hamer took to Twitter last night to condemn the "terror" act.

"It is no longer acceptable to stay quiet regarding these criminal acts that terrorise the lives of citizens and residents and targets the nation's security." – TradeArabia News Service