Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani sent a cable of condolences to H M King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of the Kingdom of Bahrain in which His Highness offered his condolences over the martyrdom of a policeman who died while repelling an armed attack on the Jau reform and rehabilitation centre in Bahrain.
In the cable, the Emir stressed Qatar's support to Bahrain in addressing terrorism and extremism along with its full support to all measures taken by Bahrain to maintain its security and stability.
Armed men attacked the prison where Shias convicted over anti-government protests are held, killing the policeman and allowing inmates to escape, the interior ministry said. The security forces launched a manhunt for the attackers and the escaped prisoners, the ministry said on Twitter. The attack took place at Jaw prison south of the capital Manama, it said, but did not give more details on the number of attackers or escapees. The tiny but strategic Gulf state has been rocked by unrest since its Sunni authorities crushed Shiite-led protests in 2011 demanding a constitutional monarchy and an elected prime minister.
In June, 17 prisoners broke out of Al Hadd jail, but the authorities recaptured 11 of them the next day.
