An explosion in a car killed two people and wounded a third in a mostly Shia village in Bahrain on Saturday, the Interior Ministry said. The ministry said on its Twitter account the explosion was in the village of al-Maqshaa', along the Budayya highway, outside of the capital Manama. "Initial inspections uncovered two burnt bodies and a third with burn wounds was taken to hospital," the ministry said. There were early signs the car contained explosive substances, it added. The US-allied Gulf kingdom, which is seen as a bulwark against nearby Shia Iran and is home to the US Fifth Fleet, has been hit by several small bombings in recent weeks as the country struggles with continued unrest from its Shia Muslim community. Bahrain's majority Shia Muslim population wants political reforms and an end to perceived discrimination in the Sunni-Muslim ruled country. Bahrain denies any discrimination. Authorities quelled a 2011 uprising that was inspired by Arab Spring protests in other countries, but many Shia areas are still witnessing near daily clashes with police. In one of the most serious recent attacks, three policemen were killed in a bomb attack in March in the village of Daih while security forces were trying to disperse a group who were blocking roads in the village after a funeral. Since then, several explosions, mostly of homemade bombs, have injured at least three policemen in Shia villages around the island. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/99406.aspx
