Medina bombing is an assault on Islam itself (Opinion)
The attacks came on the heels of massive jihadi assaults in the Muslim world last week that have been been tied to ISIS; analysts believe that this string of assaults inSaudi Arabia could be the work of the terror group.
There has been no claim of responsibility.
Two of the attacks failed but four people were killed in the third, all of which appear to be coordinated — targeting both Saudi security forces and Western interests.
The first occurred before dawn near the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah. The attacker killed only himself after detonating an explosive according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency. Policemen were injured in the attack.
The Saudi Interior Ministry identified the Jeddah bomber as Pakistani national Abdullah Qlazar.
The ministry said the 34-year-old man blew himself up with an explosives belt. He lived in Jeddah with his wife and one of her parents. He came to Saudi Arabia 12 years ago to work as a driver, Saudi officials said.
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.
The deadliest occurred in Medina, where four people were killed and another person was wounded, according to an official with knowledge of the event. The city is a major spot in Islam because that’s where the Prophet Mohammed is buried.
The bomber, who died in the explosion, targeted security officers, but it is unknown precisely who was killed, the source said.
The strikes come as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan ends and Americans celebrate the Fourth of July, the U.S. independence day.
They follow dramatic attacks last week in Turkey, Bangladesh, Yemen and Iraq, that killed scores of people. They are claimed or thought to be carried out by ISIS.
Tim Lister, a CNN expert on Middle East affairs, said the Saudi attacks fit the “modus operandi” of ISIS and the kingdom represents “a real target to show” ISIS “can punch above its weight.”
“Saudi Arabia is a big target for them. They have a lot of Saudi fighters in their ranks. They regard the Saudi monarchy as having betrayed Islam.”
The group claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing last August that ripped through a mosque belonging to a special emergency force in the southwestern part of the country, killing at least 13 people and leaving nine others wounded.
he kingdom’s special emergency force, answering to the Interior Ministry, comprises quick-response security officers used for a variety of situations, including rescues, riot control and other police actions. ISIS’ statement claims the emergency force played a significant role in torturing ISIS supporters.
Peter Bergen, CNN national security analyst, said ISIS called for attacks during Ramadan and “now we have them.”
Attacking a Shiite mosque, a U.S. entity and the holy city of Medina are meant to embarrass the Saudis. The attack on Medina specifically undercuts the royal Saudi family’s claim to be the “protectors of the two holy places,” Bergen said, a reference to the holy sites of Mecca and Medina.
But, Bergen said, a suicide attack in Medina couldn’t be more counterproductive because the attack took place at a revered Muslim location during Ramadan. It would seem senseless to undertake that kind of action, he said, and he expects it would be greeted with “strong condemnation and puzzlement” by the Muslim faithful.
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