A major catastrophe was averted Friday when security forces around Al-Anoud Mosque in Dammam stopped a suicide bomber disguised in women's clothing from entering the mosque compound. The bomber, however, did succeed in detonating the bomb a little away from the mosque in which at least four persons were killed including the suicide bomber and security personnel.
The blast also set several cars ablaze.
Alert security forces, in the process, must have saved the lives of hundreds of worshippers inside the mosque as the bomb was of high intensity and was tailor-made to create havoc in a larger area, officials said.
“Authorities have managed to foil a terrorist crime targeting people performing Friday prayers at Al-Anoud Mosque in Dammam,” capital of Eastern Province, said an Interior Ministry spokesman quoted by the Saudi Press Agency.
The bomber “detonated the explosive belt he was wearing at the mosque entrance as security officials were on their way to inspect him,” said the spokesman, citing preliminary investigation results.
The explosion went off just as the attacker's car stopped at a parking lot near the mosque, the spokesman said.
The explosion killed the attacker as well as three others and wounded four people, he said.
The spokesman had earlier said the car exploded as security officials headed toward it. Other nearby vehicles caught fire. According to unconfirmed reports one of the volunteers of the mosque also died in the explosion.
Residents circulated pictures of the body of a man believed to be the suicide bomber as well as pictures of black clouds of smoke billowing over a parking lot outside the mosque.
Video posted on social media showed the congregation inside the mosque reacting with shock and alarm to the noise of the explosion outside the building.
A Daesh statement named the suicide bomber as Abu Jandal Al-Jizrawi and said he had managed to reach his target despite heightened security. Daesh (so-called IS) claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing last week at Ali Bin Abi Talib Mosque in Al-Qudaih town of Qatif that killed 21 and wounded nearly 100 in the bloodiest militant attack in the Kingdom in years.
According to authorities “today's attack was targeted against worshippers in Al-Anoud Mosque”.
Officials said security forces became suspicious of a vehicle that was parked outside the mosque. But before they could reach the car, it exploded “killing four people, injuring a few and setting on fire cars parked beside the explosives-laden car.”
A worshipper, preferring only to be identified as Muhammad, said that he was inside the mosque that housed around 5,000 worshipers. “It was around noon and the khutba (sermon) was in progress when we heard a loud explosion shaking all those present in the mosque. Imam Sheikh Ali Nasser urged worshippers to maintain calm and proclaim Allah-O-Akbar (God is Greatest),” he said.
Muhammad said since he was in the back row, out of curiosity he came out of the mosque and saw huge smoke billowing out of a few vehicles and there was absolute chaos on the street. The security forces had cordoned off the entire area and took full control of the situation. Within few minutes Civil Defense vehicles arrived at the spot.
Inside the mosque, the prayers continued peacefully and after the prayers, the security forces exited the worshippers under their security and supervision.
People in the Eastern Province expressed their dismay and anger over the incident. “These terrorists want to divide us. But what they don't realize is that their every terrorist action will consolidate our unity,” said Ali, a worshipper at the mosque who was in the front row with his two sons. “The entire nation stood up against the ghastly act in Al-Qudaih and unequivocally condemned the attack. It was a reflection of our resolve that we will not fall prey to such evil designs,” said Ahmad who preferred to offer his first name only.
The blast did not have much impact on the normal life in the city. Being Friday most of the shops and markets were closed. The security in the region has been put on high alert. — With input from Agencies
