Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry

Chapter IV — Narrative of Events of February and March 2011
09:20, was undertaken by police with assistance from the BDF and National
Guard. The participating units proceeded from the GCC Roundabout, which
by now was under the control of the BDF and National Guard, towards SMC.
Upon their arrival at SMC, police and military personnel entered the facility,
while National Guard units secured the perimeter. The parking area was
cleared and then police entered SMC buildings, beginning with the
Emergency Section. The security units that entered the SMC buildings were
armed with sticks, shields, handguns and, in some cases, assault rifles.
536. MoI reports indicate that Molotov cocktails and weapons such as
knives, swords, and metal rods were found at the entrances to SMC. These
reports also indicate that a detachment of police and military personal that was
searching the car park adjacent to the Accident and Emergency Department
were assaulted by a group of individuals. Five of those individuals were
arrested.
537. At 13:00, the BDF General Command issued a statement announcing
that units from the Public Security Forces and the National Guard had, with
assistance from the BDF, removed from the GCC Roundabout, the Bahrain
Financial Harbour and SMC outlaws who had terrorised citizens and
undermined the national economy. This operation, according to the statement,
was executed with professionalism. The BDF General Command
congratulated all citizens for the beginning of the return to normality, and
affirmed that it would take all necessary measures to enforce security and
public order in order to protect the nation and its citizens.
538. At 16:00, the BDF General Command issued its second statement of
the day, in which it announced the imposition of a curfew from 16:00 to 04:00
for an indefinite period in the area between the Al-Seef Overpass and the
Sheikh Issa bin Salman Al Khalifa Bridge. An area of 400 metres on both
sides of this zone was also included in the curfew. In addition, all gatherings,
assemblies, rallies, sit-ins and demonstrations were prohibited throughout
Bahrain.
539. As these operations were being undertaken, clashes were reported
between security forces and groups of individuals in many parts of Bahrain.
Police units were deployed in many areas in an attempt to restore order, end
protests and remove checkpoints and roadblocks that had been set up by the
residents of many neighbourhoods. Among the areas that witnessed
confrontations between police and individuals were Hamad Town, where
clashes occurred in the vicinity of Sheikh Hamad Road, Al-Ferdan Mosque
and Roundabout 4. Clashes were also reported in Al-Deer, Samaheeg, Ras
Ruman, Issa Town, A’Ali, Sheikh Issa Road in Athari, Sitra and Sanabis. In
many of these locations, Molotov cocktails, rocks, metal rods and other
objects were thrown at police. Many people also set fire to garbage dumpsters
and placed barriers on the main roads of these neighbourhoods. Police patrols
deployed to these areas used tear gas, rubber bullets, sound bombs and at
times shotgun rounds to disperse crowds and to gain control of the situation.
540. Throughout the day, a number of police stations came under attack by
unidentified individuals. These included the Al-Khamis, Al-Naeem and Al-
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