qatif blast

Suicide blast hits Shia mosque in Saudi ​Arabia

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Saudi Arabia: Suicide Bomb Blast at Shia Mosque in Qatif left six dead.

A suicide bomber blew himself up at a Mosque in Qatif  during Friday prayers, according to Interior Ministry spokesman Mansour Al-Turki.

Local residents say the explosion has killed and wounded at least 30 people, where more than 150 people were praying. One witness described a huge explosion at the Imam Ali mosque in the village of al-Qadeeh. Another eyewitness told the Middle East Eye that at least five people have been killed and 20 have been injured but it is not yet confirmed.

Kamal Jaafar Hassan, one worshipper, told Reuters by telephone from the scene that we were doing the first part of the prayers when we heard the blast.

The Saudi state news agency has confirmed an explosion had occurred at a mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia.

According to Al Jazeera, the Shia community constitutes about 15% of the population in Saudi Arabia, and is largely based in the kingdom’s eastern province,

Saudi Arabia’s Interior ministry spokesman Mansour Turki had said last month that the country could face terror strikes given the Saudi-led coalition’s airstrikes in Yemen.

“Saudi Arabia is targeted by terrorism. Usually in such situations (conflicts), there are attempts by terrorist groups to take advantage and carry out attacks,” Turki had said.

Saudi Arabia also faces threats from the Islamic State, with Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi calling for attacks on the kingdom, most recently in a new audio message.