New Delhi, March 22 -- A blast that injured over 30 civilians and tore through homes in Bahrain's Mahazza earlier this month may have been caused by an American-operated Patriot air defense battery and not an Iranian drone attack as previously believed.

On Saturday, Bahrain acknowledged for the first time that a Patriot missile was involved in the explosion over the Mahazza neighborhood on Sitra island, offshore from the capital Manama and also home to an oil refinery.

In a statement to Reuters, a Bahraini government spokesperson said the missile successfully intercepted an Iranian drone mid-air, saving lives.

"The damage and injuries sustained were not a result of a direct impact to the ground of either the Patriot interceptor or the ...