Bahrain protest anniversary eve marked by clashes

DOHA 

Bahraini police clashed with protesters in several parts of the country on the eve of the fourth anniversary of anti-government protests, Bahrain's main opposition bloc said Friday.

In a statement, the Shiite Al-Wefaq Islamic Society said thousands of its supporters had taken to the streets across the statelet for "peaceful protests" during which they chanted pro-democracy slogans.

The protests, however, were eventually "suppressed" by security forces, leaving numerous demonstrators wounded, the society said.

On its Twitter account, it posted photos showing clashes between protesters and teargas-firing police in the Al-Duraz district west of Manama.

There has been no comment yet by the Bahraini authorities regarding the reported clashes.

Bahrain has been rocked by revolt since 2011, when pro-democracy protests erupted in the tiny Gulf state.

The government blames Al-Wefaq for the upheaval, accusing the Shiite group of pursuing an "Iranian agenda."

Al-Wefaq, for its part, denies the allegations, saying it wants to see a "constitutional regime" in the Sunni-ruled kingdom.