MANAMA, Bahrain—A bombing outside a mosque near the royal
palaces has rattled Bahrain, prompting authorities and main
opposition groups in the violence-wracked Gulf kingdom to
denounce the attack.  No one was injured in the blast, which
struck late Wednesday in the mosque parking lot during evening
prayers. But it was a rare explosion near the site of the royal
residences, pointing to widening attacks by militant factions as
part of the 29-month unrest.  Bahrain's majority Shiites are
seeking a greater political voice in the strategic Sunni-ruled
nation, home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.  The recent rise in
bombings suggests breakaway militant factions now operate
outside the main Shiite political blocs.  The largest Shiite
political group Al Wefaq "condemned" the attack on Thursday.
Security officials called it a "terrorist" act.