Recent IED Detonation and Potential Protest Activities
November 2, 2017
An IED targeting the Ministry of Interior (MOI) police recently detonated on Sh. Khalifa bin Salman Highway near the “Burgerland Interchange.” Although U.S. citizens were not targeted in this attack, keep in mind that security threats continue in areas and thoroughfares frequented by U.S. citizens. Spontaneous demonstrations, and at times violent anti-government activity, also continue to take place in Bahrain. This unrest can be in response to local developments, calls for protests, or regional events.
U.S. citizens should be aware that during the holiday season, Bahrain will host several major events including the Ironman 70.3 Middle East Championship, the Manama Dialogue hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), and National Day celebrations. These events could be subject to demonstrations.
The U.S. Embassy anticipates widespread protest activity will continue to occur, predominantly in the areas identified in this map (https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1h1taV1kb2UKRPLCc8N4lfugCsF8&hl=en_US&ll=26.171519701648506%2C50.54929799999991&z=12) . These activities may include attempts to disrupt traffic, protests near economic centers, tire fires, throwing of Molotov cocktails, and the isolated use of improvised explosive devices and homemade weapons targeting MOI police. There remains a possibility for clashes to take place between police forces and the protesters.
Violent protests do pose a risk to U.S. citizens, who may inadvertently find themselves in the vicinity of an active protest. While there have been no direct threats or attacks on U.S. citizens to date, we urge all U.S. citizens residing in or travelling to the Kingdom of Bahrain to maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness.
For further information:
· See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution,
Worldwide Travel Alert, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Bahrain
Country Specific Information.
· Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages
and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
· Contact the U.S. Embassy in Manama, located at Bldg 979, Road 3119, Block 331,
Zinj, at (973) 1724-2700. The afterhours emergency number for U.S. citizens is
(973) 1724-2957, and the fax number is (973) 1725-6242.
· Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444
from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday
through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
