The Fourth of July was plagued by terror attacks in Saudi Arabia.
The first attack, which was reported by Globalo yesterday, a man blew himself up in a parking lot immediately opposite from the US Consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. No casualties were reported (aside from the bomber), with two security guards suffering minor injuries.
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The second attack was equally as effective: A suicide bomb went off in the eastern city of Qatif, near a Shi’ite Mosque. No casualties were officially reported aside from the bomber.
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The last attack was by far the most shocking, as it hit extremely close to the heart of Islam in Medina, one of the holy cities of Islam. Medina is where the body of the Prophet Mohammed is buried. In this attack, a bomber detonated an explosive device near the Mosque of the Prophet and killed four security forces. Images and videos circulated showing smoke billowing into the air from the explosion near the mosque.
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These attacks are shocking due to the close connection to Islam. The attempt on the US consulate is understandable, as the United States is leading the coalition to destroy ISIS, and Americans have been the targets of terror attacks in the past. The attack in Qatif was an attack on a Shi’ite Mosque, which are frequent targets of terrorism, and just over one year ago, in May 2015, a Shi’ite mosque was the target of a bombing that killed 21 and wounded 88.
But the attack on Medina is very strange, as it attacks the heart of Islam. Whether someone is Shi’ite or Sunni, Medina and the Mosque of the Prophet is a holy site. There has been no claim by any group to take responsibility for the attacks yet, but over time, we will learn more and know who targeted the holy city and why.
The Saudi King has spoken out about the attacks, saying that he will strike with an “iron fist” those responsible for the attacks. “We will strike with an iron hand those who target the minds and thoughts… of our dear youth” King Salman said in a speech to mark Eid, the end of Ramadan.
Image: wikipedia
