Bahrain's government said three fugitives were killed Thursday (February 9th) as they tried to flee by boat from Bahrain to Iran following a prison break, AFP reported.
Those killed were prisoners who escaped in the January 1st storming of Jaw prison or their accomplices, the Interior Ministry said.
Seven other people were arrested in connection with the jailbreak, which freed 10 people serving long sentences for "terrorism", it added.
The boat had been spotted at dawn off Port Khalifa, east of Manama, the ministry said.
"The occupants of the boat ignored police warnings and headed north before opening fire" at the police, it said. The police returned fire and seized the boat.
One of those killed, aged 29, was a prisoner serving a life sentence, the ministry said, adding that the other two were aged 22 and 35, but giving no further details.
Earlier Thursday, the ministry said its security forces had foiled "an attempt by terrorist fugitives to illegally flee by boat to Iran" .
