Suicide bomber, four others reported killed outside Shia Mosque in Saudi

Four people were killed on Friday by a suicide bomber who tried to enter a Shia Muslim mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia, witnesses said, the second attack of its kind in a week. The assailant also died in the assault.

A witness identified only as Ahmed told Reuters he was with his family near the al-Anoud Mosque in the city of Dammam when “a quick explosion” happened. He did not know the cause of the blast.

He said acquaintances at the mosque told him a man was killed along with a bomber when the man tried to prevent him from reaching the building.

Another witness said a passer-by was also killed in the blast.

A suicide bombing on May 22 killed 21 worshippers at a Shia mosque in al-Qadeeh village in an attack claimed by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Residents circulated pictures of the body of a man believed to be the suicide bomber as well as pictures of large black clouds of smoke billowing over a parking lot outside the mosque.

Social media accounts showed video purporting to show the congregation inside the mosque reacting with shock and alarm to the sound of the explosion outside the building.

Saudi security forces surrounded the area and began investigating the incident.

Reuters