Bomber kills at least 21 Shiites in Saudi Arabia mosque, Islamic State claims attack
Written by : Mohamed Abdel FattahThe Islamic State (IS) group says it was behind a suicide bombing on a Shia mosque in Saudi Arabia that killed at least 21 people.
A suicide bomber blew himself up during Friday prayers at a mosque in the village of al-Qadeeh in eastern Saudi Arabia, killing at least 21 and wounding 81 others, reported Al Arabiya News Channel.
In a statement published online, IS said it was behind the bombing the first time the group has officially claimed an attack in Saudi Arabia.It named the bomber as Abu Amer al-Najdi and included a picture of him.
The statement said "the soldiers of the caliphate" were behind the attack by a suicide bomber "who detonated an explosives belt" in the mosque.
A video posted online showed a hall filled with smoke and dust, with bloodied people moaning with pain as they lay on the floor littered with concrete and glass. More than 90 people were wounded, the Saudi health minister told state television.
Those injured by the explosion were transferred to the Qatif Central Hospital and Aramco Hospital for treatment. According to health officials, at least 40 people have been hospitalized, and an additional 12 in critical condition. Twenty nine people have been already discharged.
It is the second deadly attack in six months against minority Shia, who make up as much as 20 percent of the Kingdom's population. In November, IS was blamed for shooting dead eight worshippers in eastern Saudi Arabia's al-Ahsa village.
More than 2,000 Saudis are believed to have joined IS, with hundreds having returned home. Saudi Arabia has launched a security crackdown in recent months, arresting hundreds of IS suspects.
Saudi officials have said the group is trying hard to attack the kingdom, which as the world's top oil exporter, birthplace of Islam and champion of conservative Sunni doctrin.
Shia residents in eastern Saudi Arabia have long complained of discrimination in seeking educational opportunities or government employment and that they are referred to disparagingly in text books and by some Sunni officials and state-funded clerics.
They say that despite the region being home to most of the kingdom's oil reserves, their streets, buildings and infrastructure are in poor condition.
Shia anger will likely be directed at the Saudi authorities for failing to protect their community in Eastern Province.
Shias have been concerned for some time at inflammatory speeches given by hardline Sunnis that depict them as being 'not real Muslims', a view shared by IS.
Many Sunni Wahhabi Muslims in Saudi Arabia view the Shia practice of praying at the tombs of religious figures as akin to polytheism.
Sources
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/22/us-saudi-security-idUSKBN0O712S20150522
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/05/22/Explosion-hits-mosque-in-eastern-Saudi-Arabia.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-32843510
A suicide bomber blew himself up during Friday prayers at a mosque in the village of al-Qadeeh in eastern Saudi Arabia, killing at least 21 and wounding 81 others, reported Al Arabiya News Channel.
In a statement published online, IS said it was behind the bombing the first time the group has officially claimed an attack in Saudi Arabia.It named the bomber as Abu Amer al-Najdi and included a picture of him.
The statement said "the soldiers of the caliphate" were behind the attack by a suicide bomber "who detonated an explosives belt" in the mosque.
A video posted online showed a hall filled with smoke and dust, with bloodied people moaning with pain as they lay on the floor littered with concrete and glass. More than 90 people were wounded, the Saudi health minister told state television.
Those injured by the explosion were transferred to the Qatif Central Hospital and Aramco Hospital for treatment. According to health officials, at least 40 people have been hospitalized, and an additional 12 in critical condition. Twenty nine people have been already discharged.
It is the second deadly attack in six months against minority Shia, who make up as much as 20 percent of the Kingdom's population. In November, IS was blamed for shooting dead eight worshippers in eastern Saudi Arabia's al-Ahsa village.
More than 2,000 Saudis are believed to have joined IS, with hundreds having returned home. Saudi Arabia has launched a security crackdown in recent months, arresting hundreds of IS suspects.
Saudi officials have said the group is trying hard to attack the kingdom, which as the world's top oil exporter, birthplace of Islam and champion of conservative Sunni doctrin.
Shia residents in eastern Saudi Arabia have long complained of discrimination in seeking educational opportunities or government employment and that they are referred to disparagingly in text books and by some Sunni officials and state-funded clerics.
They say that despite the region being home to most of the kingdom's oil reserves, their streets, buildings and infrastructure are in poor condition.
Shia anger will likely be directed at the Saudi authorities for failing to protect their community in Eastern Province.
Shias have been concerned for some time at inflammatory speeches given by hardline Sunnis that depict them as being 'not real Muslims', a view shared by IS.
Many Sunni Wahhabi Muslims in Saudi Arabia view the Shia practice of praying at the tombs of religious figures as akin to polytheism.
Sources
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/22/us-saudi-security-idUSKBN0O712S20150522
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/05/22/Explosion-hits-mosque-in-eastern-Saudi-Arabia.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-32843510
Comments
Post a Comment