A young protester was shot dead Thursday by security forces near the Bahraini capital Manama, witnesses said, as anti-government demonstrators marked the second anniversary of a pro-reform uprising, dpa reported.
The 16-year-old man was shot with birdshot in the village of Daih on the outskirts of Manama where protests erupted early in the morning, added the witnesses.
The mainly Shiite opposition has called for a general strike to mark the occasion and urged protesters to flock to Lulu Roundabout in Manama, the epicentre of anti-government demonstrations that started on February 14, 2011.
The square was forcibly cleared by security forces a month later. The site remains closed to the public and is heavily guarded by police.
Bahrain's Shiite Muslim majority has since been protesting to demand political reform and greater freedoms from the Sunni monarchy.