Police pelt Bahraini opposition figure's home with tear gas

Feb 11, 2012, 1:18 GMT

Manama - The home of the secretary-general of the leading opposition group Al-Wefaq was pelted by police with tear gas bombs Friday night as tensions grow before the first anniversary of reform protests in the small Gulf island.

Sheikh Ali Salman, the group's leader, was forced to take shelter inside a bedroom along with his wife and young daughter, but they escaped harm.

'This is the state of most homes now days in Bahrain,' Salman told dpa as he covered his face to avoid the stinging effect of the tear gas.

The tear-gas rounds, which shattered windows, were fired as police clashed with a group of protesters in Bilad al-Qadem village, a suburb of Manama. In August, Salman's home was targeted twice with tear-gas and rubber bullets that shattered windows in the house and his car and damaged security-surveillance cameras for the building.

Clashes between pro-reform protesters and police were reported across the country, including the capital Manama, as tension rose ahead of the first anniversary of pro-reform protests next Tuesday.

On Thursday, Michael Posner, a US State Department official, called on the government and protesters to exercise restraint ahead of the anniversary.

Protesters have indicated they will try on Sunday to return to the original protest site, Lulu Roundabout, which has been closed by security forces since March 2011.

The death toll from nearly a year of protests stands at 60, according to opposition groups. That includes civilians who died from tear gas attacks and four who died in police custody. Four policemen have also been killed.