Bahrain: Qatar coastguard stops two Bahraini vessels

Bahrain’s interior ministry on Wednesday accused three Qatari coastguard vessels of violating regional and international agreements after it said they intercepted two Bahraini coastguard vessels conducting a maritime exercise, Reuters reports.

Qatar’s interior ministry later said the boats were stopped inside Qatari waters and were permitted leave after contacting Bahraini authorities for clarification.

Bahrain’s interior ministry said it would report the incident to the Gulf Cooperation Council, which both states are members of, and that it hoped it would not happen again.

Bahrain, along with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, cut ties with Qatar in 2017, accusing it of supporting extremist groups. Doha denies the charges and says the bloc aims to infringe its sovereignty

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