Bahrain opposition: 5 dead in 'war of annihilation'
Two policemen also killed in clashes with Shi'ite protesters; Shi'ite party leader: Troops firing at people who try to cross Pearl roundabout.
By REUTERSBahrain protests Pearl Square_311 reuters(photo credit: Hamad I Mohammed / Reuters)
MANAMA - At least five protesters have been killed and hundreds wounded in a crackdown by Bahraini forces on Wednesday, the head of the Shi'ite Muslim opposition bloc in parliament said.Earlier Wednesday, two Bahraini policeman were also killed, a health official said, in an operation to clear protesters from a central roundabout where they had been camped out for weeks.RELATED:Bahrain declares martial law as violence escalatesSending troops into Bahrain, Saudis break new groundThe two policemen were knocked down by protesters driving in cars at high speeds, the official said. It was not clear how many protesters were hurt.Click for full Jpost coverage of turmoil in the Middle East"This is a war of annihilation. This does not happen even in wars and this is not acceptable," Abdel Jalil Khalil, a senior politician in Bahrain's largest Shi'ite party Wefaq, said.Khalil told Reuters by telephone that, apart from clearing protesters from the Pearl roundabout, troops had fanned out across Bahrain, cutting off streets and arresting or firing at people who tried to cross.Khalil said that private homes and funeral parlors were receiving casualties as troops had surrounded several hospitals and called on qualified doctors to head to their nearest health center to help treat casualties.
