Warehouse with explosives, bomb-making materials found

Manama, June 18 (BNA): As part of the Ministry's counterterrorism efforts and investigation into the smuggling of explosives from Iraq to Bahrain on a bus on 15 March 2015, as well as the smuggling of explosives to Saudi Arabia through the King Fahad Causeway on 8 May 2015, a warehouse was found in Dar Kulaib village that contained a large quantity of high explosives and bomb-making materials. After notifying the Public Prosecution, the crime scene and forensic lab teams moved to the location for technical examination and the removal of the items from a hidden area behind the wall of a room in the house. The forensic lab team took samples from the explosives to identify their type in order to remove them to a safe location. Because of the destructive nature of the material the items were a danger to the lives of the residents in the surrounding area. The crime scene team classified the confiscations in the presence of the Public Prosecution. Investigation revealed that: Murtadha Majeed Ramadhan Al Sindi, 32, a fugitive in Iran, wanted in a previous terrorist case, sentenced to life imprisonment and one of the persons who had his nationality revoked was responsible for coordinating with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. Qassim Abdullah Ali, 26, fugitive in Iran, sentenced to life imprisonment in previous terrorist cases who often travels to Iraq. They formed and recruited a terrorist group that targets the security of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. This included providing military training to members and smuggle explosives and travel to Iraq and Iran to receive intensive training on how to make and use explosives and guns as well as scuba diving skills to plant mines and explosives in the sea. The instruction was given at camps run by the Hezbollah Brigades in Iraq as well as the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, who also offered logistic and financial support to the Bahraini terrorist group. The leader of the group, Qassim Abdullah, assigned Mohammed Jaffar Abdullah to search for a secret warehouse for bomb-making so he rented a house in Dar Kulaib. He told police that he associated with the two men arrested by Saudi security authorities, Sadiq Majeed and Jaffar Mohammed, and worked with them to make 6 to 8 bombs. He received around BD1000 on a monthly basis from the group’s leader that were passed to him in the water metres of various mosques. The forensic lab of the Interior Ministry confirmed the destructive danger of the confiscated items that have the ability to effect a vast area in a blast location. The warehouse was a house near other inhabited houses and two mattams (community centres). The confiscated items would have had the effect of detonating 222KG of TNT. The deadly and effective range could have reached hundreds of meters, causing multiple casualties. Lab tests revealed some of the explosives were not made locally. In addition, some detonators and electronic circuits match items confiscated in the foiled smuggling attempts on King Fahad Causeway on 15 March 2015, through the sea on 28 December 2013 and inside a warehouse in Al Qurayyah on 29 December 2013. Analysis and comparison of lab results and evidence from those previous cases pointed to Iran and Iraq as the source of the materials. The Interior Ministry comprehensively works with brotherly and friendly countries to fight terrorism and protect lives and property to ensure the safety and security of the nation.