Bahrain Mirror: The Bahraini Ministry of Interior announced on Wednesday (January 6, 2016) that it foiled a "terrorist plot" and identified the "secret terrorist group members", backed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRG) and Lebanon's Hezbollah.

The Interior Ministry's statement was issued amid aggravating Iranian-Saudi tensions after Saudi Arabia executed the Shiite prominent cleric Sheikh Nimr Al-Nimr, leading to Riyadh's severing of diplomatic and trade ties with Iran, which Bahrain followed suit.

The Interior Ministry claimed that members of this secret group in 2012 met Hezbollah's Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and his deputy Sheikh Naim Qassim, and received financial aid of USD 20,000.

The members of the cell includes Mahmoud Al-Jaziri Al-Wasat correspondent and journalist, Hussein Abdul Wahab son of the detained opposition leader Abdul Wahab Hussein, and the former member of the municipal council Hamid Al-Basri. The ministry further stated that the defendants joined Al-Wafa'a Islamic Party which was founded by Mr. Abdul Wahab Hussein before his arrest. It also claimed that Al-Wafa'a Islamic Party has connections with  Al-Ashtar Brigades and a number of suspects accused of the Sitra bombing which took place in July 2015, leaving two policemen killed and six others injured.

The ministry alleged that the two leaders of the group (Al Wafa'a Party), the twins:

1- Ali Ahmad Fakhrawi (33 years old) detained

2- Mohammad Ahmad Fakhrawi (33 years old) detained,

who are affiliated to so-called Al-Wafa'a Islamic Party founded and led the terrorist "Al-Basta Group." It added that with the participation of several of the group's members, they are considered to be the military branch of the aforementioned party.

"Defendant Ali Fakhrawi had travelled to Iran in 2011 to secure financial, moral, and logistic support to implement the terrorist plans of the group depending on his connections with terrorist members based in Iran who have tight relations with senior members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and the terrorist Hezbollah group", it added.

"Ali Ahmed Fakhrawi as well travelled in 2012, accompanied by suspects Zuhair Ashoor and Hussain Abdul Wahab, to seek financial support from Hezbollah in the southern suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut. During their visit, they met Hezbollah's Secretary-General (Sayyed) Hassan Nasrallah, and his deputy (Sheikh) Naim Qassim, where they suggested reviving the Al-Wafa'a Islamic Party, and requested financial assistance in order to continue their terrorist activities in Bahrain. Thus, (Sayed) Hassan Nasrallah asked them to continue their work and provided them with USD 20,000", the statement explained.

The Ministry of Interior further claimed that investigations found the aforementioned suspects contacted the following:

1- Mortada Majeed Ramadan Al-Alawi (Al-Sindi) (33 years old) wanted over involvement in several terrorist attack cases and is a fugitive in Iran

2- Zouheir Jassem Mohammad Abbass (35 years old) sentenced to life imprisonment over several terrorist attack cases, and was arrested in July 18, 2013

3- Mohammad Ahmad Abdullah Sarhan (41 years old) sentenced over several cases and was arrested in May 11, 2013

4- Hussein Abdul Wahab Hussein (28 years old) detained

"They met with seniors members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and terrorist Hezbollah group. They received necessary support from them vowing to submit periodic reports on the activities of the party and backed terrorist groups, and how the funds provided are spent. Accordingly, they agreed to form what they called the "military branch of  Al-Wafa'a Islamic Party" for achieving the party's goals by disabling the provisions of the constitution and laws, and imposing the orientations and principles of the party by force and violence. Among its duties is recruiting more members and forming a secret central terrorist cell, which receives its commands from Mortada Majeed "Al-Sindi" "the head of the group", and works to develop the necessary plans to carry out terrorist bombings in the Kingdom of Bahrain".

Among those arrested in the case:

1- Ibrahim Jaafar Hassan (29 years old)

2- Hamid Ali Mansour (59 years old)

3- Mohammad Abdul Jalil Ali (46 years old)

4- Mahmoud Abdul Rida Hassan (Al-Jaziri) (28 years old)

Mohammad Ahmad Fakhrawi had provided the necessary financing for the terrorist group to carry out their terrorist acts and plots, aided by the funds he receives from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and terrorist Hezbollah group, which he was receiving through:

1- Qassem Majeed Ramadan (28 years old), a fugitive

2- Issa Jassem Al Qafas (34 years old), a fugitive

3- People returning from religious pilgrimage in Iran

4- Others being investigated to be identified and arrested

It further added that Mohammed Ahmed Fakhrawi had travelled to Iran in mid-2015 to secure additional financial support and develop more secure financial transfers. He also met with senior officials in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and travelled to Beirut's southern suburb area to meet with the Deputy Hezbollah chief and secure further needed support for the party and the terrorist groups linked to it.

"After foiling this terrorist plot, the General Directorate for Criminal Investigation has put in place all necessary legal procedures and referred the case to the Public Prosecution," the Interior Ministry concluded its statement.

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