Bahrain says homemade bomb has gone off in village near capital, wounding 2 policemen
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Masked Bahraini anti-government protesters wearing handcuffs hold cameras up to show support for jailed photographers during a march in Saar, Bahrain, on Friday, Dec. 13, 2013. Thousands participated in the march organized by opposition parties to mark 1,000 days since the pro-democracy uprising began in the Gulf island kingdom. As the peaceful march dispersed, a group of masked youths confronted riot police nearby, igniting clashes. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali) (The Associated Press)
Bahrain's interior ministry says two policemen have been wounded, one critically, when a homemade bomb exploded in a village southwest of the capital, Manama.
The ministry said in a statement on its official Twitter feed that the explosion happened early Tuesday in the village of Demistan. The area has been the scene of frequent clashes between anti-government activists and Bahrain security forces.
Bahrain is a small island kingdom off the coast of Saudi Arabia that hosts the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}More than 65 people have been killed in violence since protests led by the country's Shiite majority began in February 2011 calling for a greater political voice in the Sunni-ruled nation. Some rights groups place the death toll higher.
Anti-government factions have been increasingly deploying bombs targeting government forces.