Anti-government protesters reportedly clashed with police forces in the early hours of Tuesday morning in Sitra, central Bahrain.

Claimed footage of overnight clashes was uploaded on Youtube. It purportedly shows police forces firing tear gas and protesters hurling petrol bombs at them.

The Gulf Arab state, which is ruled by a Sunni Muslim monarchy and hosts the U.S. Fifth Fleet, has been in turmoil since activists mainly from the majority Shi'ite community began protests in February 2011, inspired by successful uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia. The uprising was initially crushed in when the government imposed martial law and brought in Saudi and United Arab Emirates troops.

Since, protests and clashes between police forces and protesters have been happening almost everyday throughout the kingdom.

The Shi'ite community, which constitutes the majority of the population in Bahrain, say they have faced decades of discrimination and are blocked from top political and security posts. The country's Sunni ruling family has been in power for more than 200 years.