Bomb Kills One, Wounds Another in Bahrain

A bomb blast Tuesday killed one person in a Shiite village in western Bahrain, according to the authorities, who have faced years of simmering unrest since crushing pro-democracy protests in 2011.

The explosion in Karzakan killed a Bahraini and slightly wounded an Asian national, the interior ministry said, describing it as a "terrorist" attack.

Late on Monday a policeman was killed in a separate attack in Damistan, a nearby Shiite village, the authorities said.

It was the first deadly attack on the security forces since parliamentary elections in November that were boycotted by the main Shiite opposition group, which is calling for democratic reforms in the Sunni-ruled kingdom.

The vote was the first in the Gulf state since the Sunni authorities quelled the 2011 Shiite-led protests.

Small but strategic Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, remains deeply divided three years after the month-long demonstrations.

Protests still frequently break out in Bahrain's Shiite villages, sometimes sparking clashes with police.

The main opposition Al-Wefaq movement quickly distanced itself from the Damistan attack, stressing its "rejection" of violence.

Attacks against the security forces have increased this year, with three policemen -- including one from the UAE -- killed in a bomb attack in a Shiite area on March 3.

Another policeman was killed in a bomb blast in a Shiite village in February during protests marking the third anniversary of the failed uprising.