Bahraini Shiites clash with police after funeral of protester who died previous day

Hundreds of Bahraini Shiites clashed with riot police for a second day Tuesday, following the funeral of one of their countrymen who died from injuries sustained in similar clashes the previous day.

Police used teargas and chased the protesters through the streets of Sanabis, a village on the outskirts of Manama, the capital of Bahrain. The protesters hurled stones at the police and burned tires as the turmoil stretched into the evening.

There were no immediate comments from officials on the violence and no reports on numbers of injured or arrests.

Tuesday's unrest began in early afternoon hours, after the funeral of a protester who died of injuries sustained in similar clashes Monday, when the Bahraini Shiites commemorated the political upheaval that began in 1994 and lasted for several years, when more than 40 people died.

Abdul-Jalil al-Singace, head of the Haq human rights group, told The Associated Press by phone from London on Monday that the protester, 30-year-old Ali Jassem, died after inhaling large amounts of tear gas.

Family members who spoke to AP said Jassem died following his return home just minutes after taking part in the rally.

However, the Bahraini Interior Ministry said in a statement that the man died of "natural causes" according to medical reports.

Monday's demonstration coincided with the tiny island kingdom's second day of celebrations marking the ruler's coronation.

Shiite Arabs, who make up a majority of the population in Bahrain, have waged an occasionally violent campaign against perceived discrimination by the ruling Sunni family.

The tiny Persian Gulf kingdom is a close U.S. ally. The oil-refining and banking island also hosts the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet.