Bahrain security forces swoop on militant cell

Authorities in Bahrain have arrested eight nationals in a militant cell with links to Iran, Iraq and Lebanon, the interior minister said yesterday.

The official Bahrain News Agency reported the minister, Shaikh Rashed bin Abdullah al Khalifa, as saying the eight had received training in weapons and explosives and also obtained funding from outside Bahrain.

News of the arrests came after two people were killed on Thursday on the second anniversary of an uprising to demand democratic reforms and the unrest, the most violent in recent months, continued into Saturday.

The government has accused opposition groups of being linked to Shiite power Iran.