A wave of suicide bombings hit three Saudi Arabian cities over a 24-hour period yesterday. The attacks came on the heels of massive jihadi assaults in the Muslim world last week. The deadliest occurred in Medina, where four people were killed and another person was wounded. The city is a major spot in Islam because that’s where Prophet Mohammed is buried.
The bomber, who died in the explosion, targeted security officers, but it is unknown precisely who was killed as at press time.
In Qatif in eastern Saudi Arabia, a suicide bomber attempted to launch an attack at a Shiite mosque but failed, killing himself in the process, according to an official with knowledge of the event. There were no injuries.
Near the United States Consulate in Jeddah, a suicide bomber killed only himself after detonating an explosive according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency. Policemen were injured in the attack.
There were no claims of responsibility at press time. Attackers launched strikes last week in Turkey, Bangladesh, Yemen and Iraq, killing scores of people. They are claimed or thought to be carried out by Islamic States. The strikes came as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan ends and Americans celebrate the Fourth of July, their independence day.
Reports said, early yesterday, the Saudi police became suspicious of a man who appeared to be roaming around a parking lot of a major hospital. When officers approached him, the man detonated what appeared to be an explosive belt,. The explosion happened roughly 33 feet (10 meters) from the consulate’s wall. The blast occurred about 3 a.m. local time and that it appeared that at least two police officers were slightly injured in the attack. The report did not specify how many were hurt. None of the bystanders in the parking lot were injured in the attack.
Police found three devices inside the bomber’s car. A bomb disposal unit used a robot to detonate them, said a journalist who was on the scene.
The Saudi Interior Ministry is investigating the case.
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