A group of thugs torched the ground floor of a house owned by senior officer at the Interior Ministry in East Eker yesterday.

This is the 27th time the house of Captain Khamees Abdulrasool has been attacked by thugs since last year's unrest.

Sources told the GDN that Mr Abdulrasool's wife, five sons and five daughters were not present in the house at the time of the attack.

The Central Governorate Police General Director said that a group of thugs attacked a house of the Interior Ministry officer that led to a fire in the ground floor, in which a room fully gutted.

He said that the attack was not the first as the house was targeted before, while explaining that the civil defence team rushed to the scene and fought the fire.

The official further affirmed that the search will continue to arrest the suspects to bring them to justice.

The GDN reported on May 1st when the last attack happened at the family home that the total losses amounted to over BD60,000.

The family since last year has been forced into hiding and living at an undisclosed location fearing their safety.

Family members have claimed that thugs used Molotov cocktails, inserted rod in fire extinguishers which was fired like a gun, sharp nails and other home-made weapons to target the house.

Capt Abdulrasool had said part of the house was bulldozed and barbed wires were placed on the fence as a safety measure, but it continues to be sprayed with anti-government graffiti.

He earlier told the GDN he was attacked as a result of comments made by Shia cleric Shaikh Isa Qassim, who called on his congregation to "crush policemen" in January.

Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry announced on its Twitter account last night that a citizen died after he was hit by a car in Demistan and police is investigating the case.