Hundreds took part in protests that erupted late Thursday and lasted until the early hours of Friday across several Shiite villages after a call was issued by the opposition February 14 Coalition youth group, witnesses and activists said.

"We will remove you (King) Hamad," was the banner slogan issued by the opposition group to rally protesters against the al-Khalifa monarch, witnesses said.

Police fired birdshots to disperse the protesters, witnesses said, while the interior ministry said during clashes policeman was wounded after he was shot with a home-made gun in Diraz village near Manama.

Activists said dozens more were wounded in the clashes, but no official toll was immediately available.

On Wednesday, a car bomb exploded outside a Sunni mosque in a neighborhood where the royal court is situated but caused no casualties, the interior ministry said.

After the bombing, the interior ministry announced it has banned a rally which was planned by the opposition for Friday in the Shiite villages of Khamis and Sar.

However the activist groups have considered the elements affiliated to Bahraini regime as the main cause of such blast.

Following the eruption of the protests, the Bahraini regime launched a brutal crackdown on the peaceful protests and called in Saudi-led Arab forces from neighboring states to assist the suppression.

Dozens of Bahraini people have been killed in the crackdown, and the security forces have arrested hundreds, including doctors and nurses.

Bahrainis say they will continue holding demonstrations until their demand for the establishment of a democratically-elected government is met.

NJF/NJF