AFP - The King of Bahrain Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa has declared a state of emergency on Tuesday for three months, following the arrival of troops from the Gulf came to help contain the Shiite challenge.
"Due to circumstances that crosses Bahrain (...) King declares a state of emergency for a period of three months," said a statement broadcast by state television.
The statement said the king instructed the commander of the armed forces to restore order by using the army, police forces, units of the National Guard and "any other force, if necessary" .
This last statement appears to refer to units sent to Bahrain by its partners of Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
This decision comes as Shiite protesters block streets in Manama and are gathered in a square in the capital, following the arrival of troops from the joint force of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) called "Shield Peninsula ", in this small kingdom ruled by a Sunni dynasty.
