A bomb blast killed two Bahrain policemen and wounded six others on Tuesday in an area often shaken by clashes between security forces and protesters, the interior ministry said.

The blast took place in Sitra island outside the capital Manama. 

Police blocked routes leading to the island following the explosion -- the latest in a series of blasts targeting police in villages, witnesses said.

"The explosives used in the terrorist incident are of the same quality of explosives seized recently while being smuggled," the BNA state news agency reported.

The interior ministry described the blast as a "terror" attack.

Footage of the aftermath of the explosion showed a shrapnel-riddled police bus with shattered windows.

Since the 2011, protesters demanding political reforms have clashed frequently with security forces in villages outside Manama.

Prominent opposition figures have been jailed, including the leader of the opposition Ali Salman, who was sentenced in June to four years in prison for inciting disobedience and hatred.

Three policemen were killed in March 2014 in the kingdom's deadliest attack against security forces.

Source: Timesofoman