Bahrain: 4 arrested in firebomb attack on foreign ministry

A Bahraini anti-government protester carries flowers in a spent tear gas canister at a march in the northern village of Saar, Bahrain, on Friday, April 5, 2013. Demonstrators shouted "down with the government" during the march, called by several opposition groups demanding freedom for political prisoners and democracy in the Gulf island kingdom. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali) (The Associated Press)

MANAMA, Bahrain – Bahrain says four suspects have been arrested after homemade firebombs were hurled at the foreign ministry in a possible escalation of anti-government protests.

The Interior Ministry said Tuesday there were no injuries or serious damage from the Molotov cocktails. The late Monday attack was a rare attempt to strike government offices in the Gulf state's more than 2-year-old uprising, led by majority Shiites seeking a greater political voice in the Sunni-ruled kingdom.

In the past, police stations, security vehicles and personnel have been targeted, but government or royal compounds have been largely untouched.

The ministry offered few details of the arrests. Online activists, however, said police stormed areas of the capital, Manama, at dawn.

More than 60 people have been killed in Bahrain's unrest. Rights groups place the toll higher.