Bahrain forces kill 3 fugitives, arrest 7 trying to flee

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Bahraini authorities said on Thursday that they killed three people and arrested seven others during an operation to apprehend fugitives tied to a recent prison break who were attempting to flee the country by boat at dawn.

The Interior Ministry said the boat was headed toward Iranian waters, and that those arrested confirmed they were supposed to meet contacts there.

Those killed died in an exchange of fire with the coast guard, and a Kalashnikov-style rifle was found in the boat, the ministry said.

Police have said that 10 inmates escaped when gunmen armed with automatic rifles and pistols stormed Jaw prison on New Year’s Day. One police officer was reported killed and another wounded in the jailbreak.

The ministry said two other people were arrested Thursday in connection to the police killing.

The jailbreak was a significant escalation in the unrest led by the country’s majority Shiites against the Sunni leadership that has for years rocked Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet.