Bahrain’s interior ministry has said that the country’s Anti-Cyber Crime Directorate arrested six Asians, including five Pakistanis, after they “filmed, published and reposted videos related to the effects of the treacherous Iranian aggression”.

This was shared in a statement on the police media centre’s website on Monday.

The statement also alleged that the suspects expressed “sympathy with and glorified those hostile acts in a manner that harms security and public order”.

It added that the videos in question were circulated through the suspects’ social media accounts, “contributing to misleading public opinion and spreading fear among citizens and residents”.

“Legal procedures have been taken, and the suspects have been referred to the public prosecution,” the statement added.

According to the information available on the website, apart from five Pakistanis, a Bangladeshi has also been arrested for the alleged offence.

It said the interior ministry “also urged everyone to obtain information from official sources and refrain from circulating or reposting unverified videos or news to avoid legal accountability and to help safeguard the nation’s security and safety”.

Bahrain currently finds itself embroiled in an ongoing war in the Middle East, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran. In retaliation, Iran has been targeting US bases and assets in Gulf countries, including Bahrain.

Earlier, Bahrain’s interior ministry warned in a post on X that “anyone who betrays his country and cooperates in the aggression against Bahrain by photographing vital sites and facilities and publishing them on social media to be used in Iranian aggression is an accomplice in this aggression and will be punished according to the law”.