Video | Funerals escalate Bahrain protest sentiment

The BBC's reports that the funerals of two men, one in his 50s, the other in his 20s, are being held in a poor Shia neighbourhood, a world away from the gleaming towers of the capital's financial district.

Men attending the ceremonies said they were willing to sacrifice their lives for change, waving flags and shouting slogans against the government.

A pro-government demonstration is also expected, just hours after Bahrain banned public gatherings.

Tanks have been stationed at strategic points around the streets of Manama, and the interior ministry has announced that soldiers would take every measure necessary to preserve security.

In the meantime, Western countries have urged Bahrain to show restraint in dealing with protesters, and called for meaningful reform in the small Gulf state kingdom.

The use of the military is a course that puts the Bahraini royal family into direct confrontation with members of the Shia Muslim majority who make up the bulk of the protesters.

Since independence from the UK in 1971, tensions between the Sunni elite and the less affluent Shia have frequently caused civil unrest. Shia groups say they are marginalised, subject to unfair laws and repressed.

Washington is watching with growing concern as unrest and violence spread across the Middle East, threatening its regional interests, the BBC also reports.

While Bahrain is tiny, with a population of less than one million, it is home to the US navy's Fifth Fleet and is near another key US ally in the region, Saudi Arabia.