“Though there was no damage due to the blast, the additional security personnel requested by the British embassy has been deployed at the British Embassy compound,” Al Taher Al Jamal, Press and Public Affairs Officer at the British Embassy told the 24X7 News.
Commenting on the possible cause or group behind it, he said that it was too early to comment on it as the Interior Ministry has been conducting a thorough investigation into the incident.
Earlier, Ministry of Interior Lt Col., Salah Salim told a media conference that as soon as the Ministry was notified of the incident, police, a team of the forensic lab and all concerned authorities went to the explosion site and started the investigation.
“The explosion was because of an unknown type of explosive device which was placed under the front left wheel of a minibus that was parked in a parking area on Government Avenue, approximately 50 metres away from the British Embassy in Manama,” he said, adding that the explosion led to the wheel being blown off, along with damages to the front of the vehicle. The front and left side glass was also shattered.
“We believe that the material used was highly explosive because of the strength of the explosion; fragments were found approximately 32 metres from the explosion site which created a hole with a diametre of around 30 cm underneath the driver’s side of the vehicle. Five other cars parked in the area also damaged,” he also said, asserting that there were no injuries or casualties.
“The size of the device is difficult to determine at present but it was highly volatile. The material used in the explosive device is being tested at the forensic laboratories of the Ministry of Interior,” he added.
The Interior Ministry’s Spokesman also affirmed that the Ministry immediately secured and reinforced the headquarters of embassies in the Kingdom.
“The Ministry of Interior calls upon citizens and residents to immediately report any suspicious car stationed near vital establishments in the Kingdom.”
He also pledged that the Interior Ministry will keep the public informed on the latest findings as soon as details become available.