MANAMA: An explosion killed three policemen in Bahrain during a protest in a village near the capital Manama on Monday, the Interior Ministry said, in one of the worst incidents of violence in recent months.

The ministry said on its Twitter account that a group of protesters had broken away from a mourning procession in the village of Daih and started blocking roads.

The explosion took place as police were trying to disperse the rioters, it added. There was no immediate word on what had caused the blast.

The kingdom, home to the US Fifth Fleet, has suffered low-level civil unrest since mass protests in 2011 led by majority Shias demanding political reforms.

Negotiations between the government and opposition aimed at ending the turbulence have stalled.

The explosion occurred as hundreds of Bahrainis marched in a procession to mark the final day of mourning for a 23-year-old man who died in custody last week.

The Interior Ministry had said the man, who was detained in December and had been accused of smuggling weapons, had died of an illness. Social media were flooded with pictures of the policemen covered in blood while rescuers tried to apply first aid.

Bahrain, with help from Saudi Arabia, quelled the 2011 protests, but small-scale demonstrations remain frequent and often lead to clashes with security forces.

A policeman was killed last month by an explosion at a protest to mark the third anniversary of Bahrain's uprising.

Bahrain's Shia majority has long complained of discrimination, a charge denied by the government.

The authorities say they have rolled out some reforms and are willing to discuss further demands, but the opposition says there can be no progress until the government is chosen by elected representatives, instead of the ruling family.—Reuters