Bahrain on Sunday executed three men found guilty of killing three policemen, sparking violent protests and stoking tensions between the country's Shia majority and its Sunni rulers.
The three Shia men faced the firing squad, six days after a court upheld their death sentences over a bomb attack in March 2014, the prosecutor's office said in a statement carried by BNA state news agency.
Bahrain, which has been ruled by the Al-Khalifa dynasty for more than two centuries, has a majority Shia population which has long complained of marginalisation.
It has been rocked by sporadic unrest since March 2011 when security forces brutally crushed an Arab Spring-inspired uprising demanding reforms and a constitutional monarchy.
The announcement of the executions triggered protests in Shia villages, where demonstrators blocked roads with burning tyres and police retaliated by firing tear gas, according to posts on social media.
Pictures shared online by activists also showed relatives of those executed weeping over their deaths.
Authorities in Bahrain do not permit international news agencies to cover events independently.