Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Egypt announced Monday that they have decided to sever diplomatic relations with Qatar.
In a statement carried by its official news agency, Bahrain accused Qatar of backing terrorism and interfering in Bahrain's internal affairs.
Saudi Arabia's state news agency quoted an official source as saying that the move was to protect national security "from the dangers of terrorism and extremism."
In an official media report, Egypt also accused Qatar of supporting terrorist groups.