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Isis suicide bomber 'disguised as woman' blows himself up outside Shia mosque in Saudi Arabia | |
(35 minutes later) | |
Isis has bombed a mosque in Saudi Arabia during Friday prayers exactly a week after an almost identical attack. | Isis has bombed a mosque in Saudi Arabia during Friday prayers exactly a week after an almost identical attack. |
At least four people died when a suicide bomber blew himself up as people gathered outside the Imam Hussein mosque in the port city of Dammam this morning. | At least four people died when a suicide bomber blew himself up as people gathered outside the Imam Hussein mosque in the port city of Dammam this morning. |
He was reportedly disguised as a woman wearing a burqa and detonated the explosives after being stopped by suspicious volunteer guards. | |
لحظة التفجير الارهابي الذي استهدف مسجد العنود في الدمام .. #تفجير_العنود pic.twitter.com/Em9kbyuwZe | |
A video from inside the al-Anoud mosque showed the moment the explosion was heard outside, with prayers being interrupted by blasts and people rising to their feet and shouting in the ensuring panic. | |
Mohammed Idris, an eyewitness, told the Associated Press that the bomber attempted to enter the mosque but was chased by young men who had set up checkpoints at the entrance. | |
He named one of the dead as Abdul-Jalil Arbash, a 25-year-old graduate from an American university, although his death could not be confirmed. Firefighters at the scene of the bombing after putting the blaze out using foam | |
“They chased the suicide bomber when he tried to enter the women's section of the mosque in the south entrance,” Mr Idris said. | “They chased the suicide bomber when he tried to enter the women's section of the mosque in the south entrance,” Mr Idris said. |
Ali Jaafar, another witness, said the explosion set several cars on fire in the car park. | |
“It was big and loud,” he added. “The whole thing was very disturbing.” | |
It was the Sunni extremist group’s latest attack on Shia Muslims in the country, following a similar bombing that killed 21 people at a mosque in Qatif on 22 May. Demonstrators in Saudi's Shia east marched to condemn the 22 May attack on a mosque in al-Qadeeh | |
The Saudi Press Agency praised the guards who prevented the bomber entering the mosque on Friday. | |
“Thank God, security authorities managed to foil a terrorist crime targeting worshippers,” the agency said in a statement. | “Thank God, security authorities managed to foil a terrorist crime targeting worshippers,” the agency said in a statement. |
Isis claimed responsibility for the attack on a Facebook page used by its followers, naming the bomber as Abu Jandal al-Jazrawi and calling him a “soldier of the caliphate”. | Isis claimed responsibility for the attack on a Facebook page used by its followers, naming the bomber as Abu Jandal al-Jazrawi and calling him a “soldier of the caliphate”. |
He blew himself up among “an evil gathering of those filth in front of one of their shrines in Dammam”, the statement continued. A young relative weeps during a mass funeral held on May 25 in the village of Kudeih, for the victims of a mosque bombing carried out by the Islamic State | He blew himself up among “an evil gathering of those filth in front of one of their shrines in Dammam”, the statement continued. A young relative weeps during a mass funeral held on May 25 in the village of Kudeih, for the victims of a mosque bombing carried out by the Islamic State |
It called on Sunnis to “purify the land of the two shrines from the atheist rafida,” referring to Shias. | It called on Sunnis to “purify the land of the two shrines from the atheist rafida,” referring to Shias. |
Isis has repeatedly called for attacks on Saudi Arabia, which is part of the US-led coalition conducting air strikes against the group in Syria and is providing training to fighters battling the extremists. | Isis has repeatedly called for attacks on Saudi Arabia, which is part of the US-led coalition conducting air strikes against the group in Syria and is providing training to fighters battling the extremists. |
Saudi religious authorities had asked women to keep away from mosques during Friday prayers because of fears of a repeat attack and the lack of female security staff able to search them. | Saudi religious authorities had asked women to keep away from mosques during Friday prayers because of fears of a repeat attack and the lack of female security staff able to search them. |
Additional reporting by agencies | Additional reporting by agencies |