By Ahmed al-Masri

ISTANBUL

A bomb blast hit Bahraini capital Manama early Sunday but caused no casualties, according to the country’s interior ministry.

No injuries were reported in the bombing, which only damaged a number of cars on the capital’s outskirts, the ministry said on Twitter.

The ministry described the bomb explosion as a “terrorist” act.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the blast.

Sunday’s blast came one week after an off-duty police officer was shot dead in western Manama.

Bahrain has been rocked by revolt since 2011, when pro-democracy protests erupted in the tiny Gulf state as part of that year’s "Arab Spring" uprisings.

The Sunni-led government blames Al-Wefaq, Bahrain’s largest opposition movement, for the upheaval, accusing the Shia party of pursuing an "Iranian agenda". 

Al-Wefaq, for its part, denies the allegations, saying it wants to see the establishment of a "constitutional government" in the small Gulf kingdom.