This article is from the source 'washpo' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/islamic-state-group-claims-saudi-police-station-bombings/2016/04/03/d6a4c086-f9a2-11e5-813a-90ab563f0dde_story.html

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Islamic State group claims Saudi police station bombings Islamic State affiliate claims Saudi police station bombing
(about 1 hour later)
CAIRO — An Islamic State affiliate in Saudi Arabia says its militants detonated two explosive devices in front of a police station in the city of al-Dalam, setting fire to three police vehicles. CAIRO — An Islamic State affiliate in Saudi Arabia claimed on Sunday that its militants detonated two explosive devices in front of a police station in the city of al-Dalam, setting fire to three police vehicles.
A statement issued by the Islamic State group’s Najd Province said the explosions took place on Saturday. It did not give further details. A statement issued by the Islamic State group’s Najd Province affiliate said the explosions took place a day earlier. It did not give further details.
Saudi news websites began publishing images of the aftermath late Saturday night and early Sunday morning. No deaths were reported. Al-Dalam city is about 62 miles (100 kilometers) southeast of the capital Riyadh. Some Saudi news websites published images of the aftermath late Saturday night, showing police jeeps and SUVs on fire outside the police station in al-Dalam, located 62 miles (100 kilometers) southeast of the capital Riyadh.
There have been several IS-linked attacks in Saudi Arabia over the past year. The Najd Province affiliate has already claimed responsibility for three major bombings in eastern Saudi Arabia and in Kuwait that killed 53 people at Shiite mosques last May and June. No deaths or injuries were reported. Local police spokesman Fawaz al-Mayman, quoted by the Almowaten website, said the incident is still under investigation and that police would issue a statement soon.
There have been several attacks in Saudi Arabia over the past year carried out by local Islamic State group affiliates. The Najd Province affiliate is the kingdom’s most active. It claimed responsibility for two major bombings in eastern Saudi Arabia and one in Kuwait that killed 53 people at Shiite mosques last May and June. Najd Province is the traditional name for the central heartland of the peninsula and the homeland of the ruling Al Saud family.
Another IS-inspired group, calling itself the Hijaz Province affiliate, said it was behind a mosque bombing inside a police compound that killed 15 people in August. The Bahrain Province affiliate claimed responsibility for a shooting in eastern Saudi Arabia that killed five worshippers in October.
A similar attack in late January outside a Shiite mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia killed four people, though no group claimed responsibility. Last month, Saudi police killed six men they said were wanted for the murder of a counter-terrorism security officer, whose death was filmed and posted online by the suspects who declared their allegiance to the IS group.
Saudi Arabia is part of the U.S.-led coalition bombing the IS group in Iraq and Syria. IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has called Saudi Arabia’s Western-allied rulers “apostates” and has encouraged attacks against the Sunni-ruled kingdom.
___
Associated Press writer Aya Batrawy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates contributed to this report.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.