A Bahrain newspaper chief has been attacked by two unknown assailants as he left his office late night, the local media reported on Thursday.
Muhannad Abu Zaitoun, Managing Editor of the Arabic Language daily Al Watan, was getting into his car outside the newspaper offices in the capital Manama when he saw two masked men blocking his way, Alayyam daily said.
When he approached them to see what they want, one of them ran to the car and set it on fire while the other hit him on the hand with a sharp object, it added.
“The attackers then hit him again, causing head injuries, before they fled…Abu Zaitoun could not identify the assailants,” the paper said.
Quoted by the Bahraini News Agency, Abu Zaitoun said he did not know the reason for the attack but the paper hinted that the incident could be linked to some reports published by Alwatan about persistent riots in Bahrain.
“Abu Zaitoun said he would continue to see Bahrain as a country of peace and love…he said he would not allow this incident to change this picture in his mind or to force his newspaper to alter its policy of defending Bahrain’s stability.”
Alayyam said it was the first incident of its kind in many years and was “part of a wave of violent and sabotage acts carried out by an odd and erring group.”