UAE condemns attack on Bahrain oil pipeline

Bahrain has called the incident an 'act of terrorism' and said Iran may be behind it

The oil pipeline near the village of Buri, south of Manama, was the subject to the terror attack on November 10, 2017. Reuters

The UAE on Saturday condemned the explosion of an oil pipeline in Bahrain, which is being branded as an act of terrorism.

''The UAE condemns this coward terrorist act, which seeks to undermine the security of the Kingdom of Bahrain,'' the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said in a statement, affirming the UAE's unequivocal position against all forms of violence and terrorism.

Bahrain said the explosion that caused a fire at an oil pipeline on Friday was an “act of terrorism” caused by sabotage.

"The incident was an act of sabotage and a dangerous act of terrorism aimed at harming the higher interests of the nation and the safety of the people," the interior ministry said on Saturday on its official Twitter account.

“As security forces began searching and investigating the causes and circumstances of the fire, close inspection and evidence revealed that the incident was ‘done by someone’, and there is ongoing work to identify those suspected of this crime and to arrest them and bring them to justice.”

Bahrain’s interior minister Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah reiterated in a statement on Saturday that the incident was an “act of terrorism” and said Iran may be behind it.

“The terrorist incidents that Bahrain has been witnessing recently are happening either through directs calls or guidance from Iran,” he said. “The safety and security of our citizens and residents are a top priority, and the interior ministry will spare no effort to maintain security and protect the public.”

The interior ministry said that the Bahraini authorities were able to bring under control the fire “in record time” after collaborating with state-run Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco), which closed the flow of oil to the stricken pipeline.

The ministry also said that no one was injured in the incident. According to a statement by the civil defence, residents close to the incident near Buri village, about 15 kilometres from the capital Manama, were evacuated to a safe shelter.

The UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation expressed the UAE's solidarity with Bahrain in whatever measures it may take to confront such terrorist acts.

It also expressed its confidence that these acts will not distract the government of Bahrain and its people from pursuing development and standing against desperate attempts of destruction and violence.