Military makes show of force through the streets of Bahrain's capital on Thursday after a crackdown against the anti-government demonstrators in a Manama square in which four people were killed and more than 200 injured, state-run television said.

Protests were banned in Bahrain and the military would take every measure necessary to preserve security, Interior Ministry sources said.

Four people were killed and 235 were injured when police broke up the main protest camp in the capital, Manama on Thursday, said Bahrain's Health Minister.

Security forces attacked the Pearl square, where hundreds of people were spending the night in tents. Police use tear gas and rubber bullets at demonstrators in Pearl Roundabout.

Army had taken control on the sensitive areas of the city and patrolling on the streets, state-run TV said.

Demonstrators were demanding for political reforms and were camped out in Manama city, since Tuesday.

相關(guān)中文報(bào)道：

巴林警方17日凌晨對(duì)首都麥納麥珍珠廣場(chǎng)進(jìn)行清場(chǎng)行動(dòng)，強(qiáng)行驅(qū)散了駐守?cái)?shù)日的反政府示威者。

當(dāng)天凌晨，警方進(jìn)入珍珠廣場(chǎng)，使用催淚彈和橡皮子彈驅(qū)散示威者。反對(duì)派人士說(shuō)，兩名示威者在與警方的沖突中被打死，數(shù)十人受傷。這使得自本月14日以來(lái)的反政府抗議活動(dòng)中死亡的示威者人數(shù)升至4人。

巴林反對(duì)派人士譴責(zé)警察的行動(dòng)“將給巴林的安全帶來(lái)嚴(yán)重后果”，并號(hào)召民眾19日參加更大規(guī)模的游行示威。

本月14日以來(lái)，以什葉派為主的巴林民眾連續(xù)走上街頭示威游行，其要求包括公平對(duì)待什葉派、政府下臺(tái)、首相由選舉產(chǎn)生而非國(guó)王任命等。

巴林人口中大多數(shù)為什葉派穆斯林，而王室為占人口少數(shù)的遜尼派。什葉派認(rèn)為自己長(zhǎng)期受到歧視，在分享政治權(quán)力、就業(yè)、住房等方面都得不到與遜尼派同樣的機(jī)會(huì)，但巴林政府對(duì)此予以否認(rèn)。自上世紀(jì)90年代中期以來(lái)，巴林什葉派經(jīng)常舉行反政府抗議示威活動(dòng)，要求得到平等待遇。

（以上新聞來(lái)源新華網(wǎng)）