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Shia mosque attacked in Saudi Arabia | Shia mosque attacked in Saudi Arabia |
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At least two people have died after two gunmen wearing suicide bomb belts attacked a Shia mosque during Friday prayers in eastern Saudi Arabia. | |
One attacker detonated his explosives while the other opened fire, the interior ministry said. The other attacker was stopped from blowing himself up, it said. | |
The attack happened at the Imam Rida mosque in Mahasen, an area popular with Shia workers at state-run Saudi Arabian Oil, the world’s largest oil-producing firm. | |
The interior ministry said the attack killed two and injured seven, though security officials told the Associated Press that three were killed. | |
Mohammed al-Nimr, the brother of the executed cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, witnessed the attack, telling AP that security forces and ambulances quickly surrounded the mosque and that he thought the death toll would rise. | |
Videos and photos circulated on social media showed at least three people lying apparently motionless inside the mosque. Separate video footage showed police firing in the air trying to disperse a crowd as they held one suspect in custody. | Videos and photos circulated on social media showed at least three people lying apparently motionless inside the mosque. Separate video footage showed police firing in the air trying to disperse a crowd as they held one suspect in custody. |
Shias make up 10-15% of the Sunni-ruled kingdom’s population. The minority group, many of whom live in the country’s oil-producing east, have previously been targeted in attacks by Islamic State, which views Shias as heretics. | Shias make up 10-15% of the Sunni-ruled kingdom’s population. The minority group, many of whom live in the country’s oil-producing east, have previously been targeted in attacks by Islamic State, which views Shias as heretics. |
No group immediately claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack. | No group immediately claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack. |