BAHRAIN CRACKDOWN ON PROTESTS IN MANAMA'S PEARL SQUARE

Bahrain crackdown on protests in Manama's Pearl Square

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        Security forces with tanks have overrun a square in the centre of Bahrain's capital Manama where anti-government protesters have been camped for weeks.

At least three died after police fired on mainly Shia protesters, reports say. Officials said three police died. The government has imposed a curfew from 1600 (1300 GMT) to 0400 and banned all demonstrations. There are reports of shooting at the main hospital. The country's Sunni rulers on Tuesday called in Saudi troops to keep order.  At least two people died in clashes on Tuesday and more than 200 were injured. The country's health minister, himself a Shia, has resigned in protest against the government's use of force, reports say, and the BBC's Caroline Hawley in Manama says Shia judges have resigned en masse.

In other developments:

• Largest Shia opposition group Wefaq has urged followers to avoid confrontation with authorities, and said it had not organized any protests, Reuters news agency reports
• Security forces urged people to refrain from gathering in the capital "for their own safety"
• Senior Bahrain opposition MP Abdel Jalil Khalil, quoted by Reuters, described the crackdown as a "war of annihilation"
• President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, the major Shia power in the region, said the crackdown was unjustifiable and irreparable, and blamed the US
• The country's stock market said it had closed until further notice. Two of Bahrain's main banks - Standard Chartered and HSBC Holdings  It is not clear whether soldiers from other Gulf states are taking part in the crackdown, but there are indications that the Saudi troops are being kept in reserve. Black plumes of smoke are rising over Pearl Square, the centre of the protests, while helicopters are flying overhead. There are riot police stationed in approach roads. Armoured vehicles moved in shortly after dawn and the security forces appear to have gained full control of the square after an operation lasting a couple of hours.  Further protests were called for 1530 local time, but shortly afterwards a military officer announced the curfew live on TV, to start just a half hour later. (From BBC News)

Prof. John Kurakar

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