JNN 19 Nov 2011 Manama : A Bahraini teenager was killed when he was struck by a police car in a Manama suburb where a protest was underway, an opposition group said on Saturday, but officials said he died accidentally.

Two other people were wounded in the incident, Al-Wefaq, the largest opposition group in Bahrain, said in a statement.

Ali Yussef Bagdar 16, was killed on the spot when a police car struck him in the Al-Jufair suburb after midnight on Friday, the group said, adding that police was out on the streets to break up a protest.

A police official quoted by the state run news agency said that the death was an accident, adding that the driver of the police car lost control of the vehicle and skidded, killing the boy.

Tension remains high in Bahrain where the monarchy earlier this year crushed pro-democracy protests with the help of troops from other Gulf states, such as Saudi Arabia.

Twenty-four people died during the month-long crackdown, according to official figures from Manama. The opposition says 40 people were killed.

An independent commission is due to release on Wednesday a report on the

Bahraini authorities said Saturday a police vehicle skidded on an oil slick poured by anti-government protesters, killing a teenage demonstrator.

The death came days before international investigators were to release a report on the Shiite-led uprisings and the Sunni monarchy’s punishing crackdowns in the Gulf kingdom.

An angry funeral procession for the 16-year-old was broken up by security forces firing tear gas in the latest sign of unwavering tensions after more than nine months of unrest.

Bahrain’s majority Shiites have pressed for greater rights from the Wahabi dynasty that is backed by neighboring Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab leaders.

At least 35 people have died in the unrest. Hundreds of protesters, opposition leaders and Shiite professionals like lawyers, doctors and nurses also have been detained and tried on anti-state crimes in a special security court on the strategic island nation, which is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet.

The uncle of the dead teen, Ali Youssef Bagdar, told The Associated Press the boy died after a police vehicle ran over him during a demonstration early Saturday in Juffair area near the U.S. naval base.

The uncle said he rushed to the area with the boy’s father, but police cordoned the area off and would not let anybody near the site.

Bahrain’s Interior Ministry said in a statement that the boy died “after he was hit by a police patrol car” that skidded into a group of protesters due to an oil spill on the road. The ministry said there were “rioters” on the street, committing “an act of vandalism.”

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