Security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets on Saturday to disperse protesters in several Bahraini towns and villages including Jad Hafs, Diraz and al-Nabih.

On Saturday, tens of thousands of Bahrainis joined a peaceful demonstration to mark the third anniversary of a pro-democracy uprising led by majority Shi'ite Muslims.

The rally organized by the kingdom's main opposition al-Wefaq movement was one of the biggest staged since 2011.

Vast crowds of men, women and children took to the streets of the small Persian Gulf state calling for democracy, political reform and the release of political prisoners.

On Friday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the Bahraini regime to respect its “international human rights obligations” in dealing with peaceful protests in the country.

He said “all political constituencies and actors will need to participate freely in the dialogue for it to produce meaningful outcomes that respond to the legitimate aspirations of all Bahrainis.”

On February 13, regime forces detained nearly 30 protesters in several villages around the capital on charges of “rioting and vandalism.”

The uprising in Bahrain began in 2011, with protesters calling for political reforms and a constitutional monarchy.

However, the demand soon changed to an outright call for the ouster of the Al Khalifa family following its brutal crackdown on popular protests.

RA/MB