MANAMA: In the wake of the car bomb explosion which killed two and injured the third, the security has been beefed up to thwart any untoward incident in future, a top Public Security official revealed on Sunday.
Major General Tariq Hasan, the Public Security Chief, during a Press briefing said that it was an ongoing process to review the security situation and take necessary steps to maintain the peace and security in the Kingdom.
General Tariq provided an update regarding the investigation into the car bomb explosion in Muqsha on April 19 in which two persons were killed and a third received second degree burns and is still in the hospital.
The Public Security Chief also provided an update regarding the April 23 arrest of two escapees from the Reformation and Rehabilitation Center. 8 other wanted individuals were also arrested at the same location. The investigation was conducted in partnership with the National Security Agency (NSA).
At approximately 1pm on Saturday April 19, the police operations room received a call reporting the sound of an explosion and a burning car in Muqsha village. One person, who was injured in the blast, was driven from the scene in a private car.
Police, including the crime scene team and the bomb squad, and Civil Defence arrived at the scene to extinguish the fire, secure the area and examine the crime scene. The Public Prosecution was also notified.
The investigation revealed that the fire was caused by a homemade bomb that detonated inside the car. Police found two bodies inside in addition to shrapnel from a bomb made with explosives and a fire extinguisher.
The third passenger in the car sustained second-degree burns and was moved from the private hospital where he had initially been taken to the Salmaniya Medical Complex.
He underwent several surgeries and is now in a stable condition. Investigators have determined that he was the driver of the car.
The two bodies, identified by DNA tests, are
Ali Abas Ahmed Abdullah, 19, who was a resident of Muqsha and was involved in rioting and vandalism in 2012 and, Ahmed Mohammed Abdulrasool Ibrahim, 17, who was a resident of Muqsha and who was involved in an arson case in 2012.
The injured person is Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al Samom, 23, who resides in Karbabad and has been sentenced in absentia to 3 years and 3 months in two separate cases of vandalism and attacks against policemen.
The driver, Abdullah Al Samom borrowed the car from Hussain Ibrahim Kadhem on the day of the blast in order to transport the bomb to the Budaiya highway where it was to be planted as a trap to target policemen. Both of the deceased were involved with Al Samom in these activities.
Investigators have identified 7 additional persons involved in the making of the bomb. 5 of them were arrested after police obtained arrest warrants from the Public Prosecution. They are:
Abas Hassan Abdullah, 20, from Muqsha
Hussain Ibrahim Kadhem, 22, from Karanah
Hussain Abdulamir Abdullah, 20, from Jid Al Haj Yacoub Abduljalil Yousif, 20, from Muqsha
Hussain Ibrahim Mullah Ahmed, 17, from Jid Al Haj.
The investigation continues in order to locate and arrest the additional suspects.