Two vehicles were badly damaged after vandals set fire to rubbish bins in the heart of Manama early yesterday morning, reported the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

A minibus parked near Naim Health Centre was completely gutted by fire in the attack while another car was also damaged, it stated.

The police confirmed the incident in a statement, although no injuries were reported.

A witness told the GDN that masked thugs had hurled Molotov cocktails at parked vehicles, shops and other properties.

"They set fire to rubbish bins and blocked the roads with burning tyres, disrupting traffic," he said.

"It's a very busy area and there are many shops and restaurants there - I was out with friends when I saw some youngsters blocking the roads.

"They also hurled Molotovs, the impact of which was so severe that two parked vehicles were damaged.

"The police confronted them and this continued for three hours but later everything went back to normal."

Elsewhere on the roads, a Bahraini driver escaped unhurt after his car caught fire in Hamad Town on Friday, GDN reported.

Smoke could be seen billowing from the vehicle, near the garages in Suq Waqif, but the driver managed to escape before the vehicle went up in flames, according to reports.

Firemen extinguished the blaze and have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire, it said. –TradeArabia News Service