Large quantities of explosives and bomb-making materials intended for use in terrorist attacks targeting security forces in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have been seized from a house in Dar Kulaib, Bahrain’s Interior Ministry announced yesterday (June 18).

The confiscated items would have had the effect of detonating 222kg of TNT, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

“The house was located in an inhabited area and the explosives were highly sensitive. If a blast had occurred, God forbid, there could have been victims within hundreds of metres,” said Interior Minister Lieutenant General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa.

He was briefing members of parliament’s foreign affairs, defence and national security committee in the presence of Public Security Chief Major General Tariq Al Hassan.

Shaikh Rashid said the house was near other inhabited houses and two ma’atams.

“The deadly and effective range of the materials could have reached hundreds of metres.

“In Bahrain, we are dealing with Shi’ite individuals who have received training in killings, terrorism, and weapons and explosives smuggling,” said Shaikh Rashid.

In this context, he pointed to the consfication of explosives from a workshop in Salmabad in 2012 and the foiling of the smuggling of explosives by boat in 2013.

“This year, there have been three main cases.

“First, Bahrain Customs seized explosive-making materials coming from Iraq via King Fahad Causeway. Second, Saudi Customs foiled an attempt to smuggle explosives from Bahrain and in the third case, security authorities uncovered a terrorist group, Saraya Al Ashtar, whose members received terrorism training in Iraq and Iran,” said Shaikh Rashid.

Investigations led to the house in Dar Kulaib and the arrest of five suspects.

Murtadha Majeed Ramadhan Al Sindi, 32, who was previously sentenced to life in jail and had his Bahraini nationality revoked for working with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, was identified as the alleged mastermind.

He is still at large and is currently believed to be in Iran.

“These recent developments point to an emerging trend,” Major-General Al Hassan was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Bahrain Embassy in Washington.  

“The professionalism with which these seized materials are assembled and concealed is a clear indication of international support and sponsorship.”

Training

The group’s leader was named as Qassim Abdullah Ali, 26, who is also believed to be at large in Iran after being sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment for terrorism.

“They formed and recruited a terrorist group that targets the security of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia,” the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

“This included providing military training to members, smuggling explosives and travelling to Iraq and Iran to receive intensive training on how to make and use explosives and guns, as well as scuba diving skills to plant mines and explosives in the sea.”

The ministry said instruction was given at camps run by the Hizbollah Brigades group in Iraq and the IRGC, which is said to have provided logistical and financial support.

The  suspects arrested in the operation were identified as: Mohammed Jaffar Abdullah, 25, Mohammed Ahmed, 30, Ali Abdulredha, 26, Jaffar Thamer, 24 and Mohammed Abdulameer, 24.

Abdullah allegedly rented the house in Dar Kulaib to use as a weapons depot.

After his arrest he allegedly told police he was in touch with two men arrested by Saudi security authorities, identified as Sadiq Majeed and Jaffar Mohammed, and with them made six to eight bombs.

He also said he received around BD1,000 ($2,633) every month from the group’s leader, which was stashed in water meters of various mosques, according to the ministry statement.

“After notifying the Public Prosecution, the crime scene and forensic lab teams moved to the location and (commenced) the removal of the items from a hidden area behind the wall of a room in the house,” said the ministry.

“Because of the destructive nature of the materials, the items posed a danger to the lives of residents in the surrounding area.

“The deadly and effective range could have reached hundreds of metres, causing multiple casualties.”

Confiscated

The ministry said samples collected from the scene revealed some of the explosives were not made locally.

“In addition, some detonators and electronic circuits matched items confiscated in the smuggling attempts on King Fahad Causeway on March 15, through the sea on December 28, 2013 and inside a warehouse in Al Qurayyah on December 29, 2013.

“Analysis and comparison of lab results from those previous cases pointed to Iran and Iraq as the source of the materials.”

The embassy statement yesterday quoted Major-General Al Hassan as saying that police learnt of the weapons depot after foiling an attempt to smuggle explosives into Saudi Arabia across the King Fahad Causeway on May 8.

He said the seized items – including C-4, commercial detonators, advanced circuitry, chemicals and mobile phones – “represent a significant escalation in attempts to smuggle explosives material into Bahrain”.

“Of greater concern, however, is the fact that these sophisticated bomb-making materials were destined for Saudi Arabia – a sign that extremists are increasingly using Bahrain’s borders as a launchpad for terrorists seeking to carry out attacks elsewhere in the region,” he said.

“There are clear similarities between the tactics, techniques and procedures used in manufacturing the explosives found in Bahrain and those used by Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps proxy groups, particularly Kata’ib Hizbollah, in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“The Saraya Al Ashtar cell in Bahrain has clearly been receiving support from terrorists in other parts of the region,” he said.

The Public Security Chief affirmed that Bahrain is committed to the long-term safety of its citizens and to those of its GCC neighbours, adding that security authorities will not allow extremist acts to harm the kingdom’s pursuit of long term political and economic development. - TradeArabia News Service