Explosion in Bahrain kills police officer, wounds 7 others

MANAMA — An explosion in Bahrain has killed one police officer and wounded seven other people, among them a child, the country's interior ministry said late Friday.

The explosion took place west of the capital, Manama, in a predominantly Shiite village called Karanah.

The explosion, described by the ministry as a "terrorist blast", wounded four policemen as well as a married couple and their child. The statement did not disclose further details on the location or target of the explosion.

Last month, a bombing killed two police officers in Sitra, south of Manama. Police investigators say five suspects arrested for that attack are connected to Iran's Revolutionary Guard, as well as the Iranian-backed Lebanese Hizbollah group.

The tiny Arab Gulf nation of Bahrain has faced low-level unrest for more than four years, sparked by widespread 2011 protests among the country's Shiite majority demanding greater political rights from the Sunni-led monarchy.

Bahrain hosts the US Navy's 5th Fleet.