Army kills up to 30 in Bahrain as Libyan protests continue

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BAHRAIN’S CAPITAL descended into chaos last night after the army opened fire on thousands of anti-government protesters near one of the city’s main hospitals.

Medics at al-Salmaniya hospital said that they were overwhelmed by casualties, with more than 100 people admitted suffering gunshot wounds to the head and upper body.

As doctors struggled to tend to victims, the entrance of the hospital was thronged with angry protesters denouncing King Hamad al-Khalifa and his regime.

Last night US president Barack Obama called on Bahrain to exercise restraint. Mr Obama said that he was deeply concerned by reports of violence in Bahrain, Libya and Yemen.

“The United States condemns the use of violence by governments against peaceful protesters in those countries, and wherever else it may occur,” he said.

The number of dead was put at between 10 and 30, but it was difficult to establish the full extent of fatalities and injuries. There were also claims that paramedics were being prevented by state security forces from treating the wounded as they lay on the streets in front of army tanks.

One doctor said that the army was “shooting to kill” because most of the injured had suffered shots to the head and chest.

Bahrains most revered Shia cleric, Sheikh Issa Qassem, described the police attack as a “massacre” and said that the government had shut the door to dialogue. He stopped short of calling openly for street protests.

Late yesterday, King Hamad al-Khalifa announced that he had asked the crown prince to start a national dialogue “with all parties” to resolve the crisis.

The chief executive of the Royal College of Students in Ireland (RCSI) has travelled to Bahrain – where the college runs programmes – amid concerns for the safety of students and staff. About 24 Irish nationals work at the college’s Bahrain affiliate.

In Libya, anti-government protesters marched again in Benghazi as forces loyal to leader Muammar Gadafy pledged to stamp out any further challenges to his 41-year rule.

In the eastern town of Bayida, hundreds of people attended the funerals of 13 demonstrators killed in clashes since Tuesday. Protests have engulfed five cities, from north to south, but the capital, Tripoli, has not been affected.

Human Rights Watch reported that security forces shot dead eight people in Benghazi and 16 in Bayida and wounded scores during the latest skirmishes. Casualties have been impossible to verify due to a media blackout.

In Cairo, meanwhile, more than a million Egyptians rallied yesterday in Tahrir Square in a victory march to mark the first week anniversary of the removal of Hosni Mubarak.