Bahrain's most wanted: Jailbreak fugitives named by authorities

Bahraini authorities have named the 10 inmates on the run following an armed attack on a prison which killed one policeman and wounded another.

The state's interior ministry said security forces have launched a manhunt for the attackers and the escapees who fled Jaw prison, south of capital Manama, where Shia activists convicted over anti-government protests are held.

Seven had been serving life sentences and three were serving lengthy jail terms for "terrorist acts", the ministry added.

It added the attackers were a terrorist cell armed with automatic rifles and pistols.

A committee is being formed to investigate the circumstances of the jailbreak, the statement said.

The Gulf state has been rocked by unrest since its Sunni authorities crushed Shia led protests in 2011 demanding a constitutional monarchy and an elected prime minister.

Hundreds of people have been arrested and many have faced trials over their role in the demonstrations.

International rights groups have condemned this action, as well as the treatment of prisoners at Jaw.

A report published by the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy [BIRD] in 2015 detailed a number of allegations against the prison's authorities, inclusing humiliation of prisoners, forced sleep depravation, food depravation, physical abuse and forced disappearances.

Police on Sunday set up or reinforced roadblocks near Shia villages outside the capital, witnesses said.

Despite the crackdown, protesters have frequently clashed with security forces in these villages.