Two police officers killed in Bahrain attack

An explosion killed two police officers and wounded six others in Bahrain on Tuesday, the interior ministry said.

Bahraini police blocked routes leading into the island following the explosion - the latest in a series of blasts that have recently targeted police, witnesses said.

The blast in Sitra island, the scene of frequent clashes between security forces and pro-democracy demonstrators, comes days after the kingdom announced it had foiled an attempt to smuggle weapons from Iran.

Bahraini authorities have regularly accused Iran of supporting an uprising on the island, in which locals have called for democratic reforms, however no tangible evidence has been produced to support such claims.

Manama recalled its ambassador from Tehran over the weekend in protest at "hostile" comments by Iranian leaders, which stated their support for the Bahraini uprising.  

On Sunday, Iranian foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham accused Bahrain of making "unfounded allegations" aimed at creating "tension in the region". 

At least 89 protesters have been killed in Bahrain since the pro-democracy uprising began in 2011, inspired by the Arab Spring protests seen across the region. Authorities have locked up thousands of dissidents and protesters, been accused of torturing opponents, and stripped citizenship from people who support the protests.

Police officers have been targeted by sporadic attacks in this period, with tens having been killed over the past four years. Protests continue to take place on a daily basis, although many of the marches take place out of sight of the capital Manama, instead organised in the surrounding villages where poverty is rife.