Two die in Bahrain clashes

Saudi-backed regime forces in Bahrain have attacked peaceful anti-government protesters in the capital, Manama. The attack took place on Thursday in the heart of the capital where a large number of demonstrators had gathered to protest ruler King Hamad Al Khalifa's crackdown on protesters. Meanwhile, thousands of people attended a funeral procession in the town of Ma'ameer -- about 15km south of the capital -- for the two protesters who were killed during an anti-regime demonstration a day before. According to Bahraini activists and opposition groups, an elderly Bahraini man died on Wednesday after the regime forces attacked his home in Ma'ameer with tear gas. The other victim was an elderly woman who also died after inhaling toxic tear gas in a similar attack by security forces in the capital's Naim neighborhood. Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds more arrested or fired from their jobs since the beginning of the popular uprising in Bahrain in February 2011.  An indepedent commission set up last year to investigate allegations of protester abuse found that detainees had been tortured and subjected to various forms of physical and psychological abuse. In late January, Amnesty International called on Bahraini authorities to “investigate and account for the reports of more than a dozen deaths following tear gas use.” Amnesty also called on the US government to “suspend transfers of tear gas and other riot control equipment to the Bahraini authorities”. The US however forged on with an arms deal consisting of helicopters and communciations equipment among other defence equipment inspite of abuse reports and an impending ban on foreign NGOs by Manama. Bahraini protesters have vowed to continue their anti-regime protests despite the violent crackdown by security forces.