Bomb explodes next to Prophet's Mosque as terrorists target Madinah after Jeddah, Qatif

Riyadh, Jul 4: Three suicide bombers struck in Saudi Arabia today in a rare incidence of multiple attacks in the kingdom where the anti-Islamic group called Islamic State' has previously staged deadly attacks. There were no immediate claims of responsibility.

The latest explosion occurred outside of Islam's three holiest sites, the Prophet's Mosque (Masjid an-Nabawi) in Madinah in the kingdom's west where Muhammad (pbuh) established first Islamic society after migration from Makkah.

Al-Arabiya said the Madinah incident occurred during sunset prayers after which Muslims break their fast during the holy month of Ramadan, which ends Tuesday.

Four policemen were killed and five others were injured in Madinah when a suicide bomber struck in the vicinity of a police post outside the Prophet's Mosque, according to the interior ministry.

The bombing took place in a parking lot between the city court and the mosque, visited by millions every year.

When security officials became suspicious of an individual who was heading to the Prophet's Mosque they approached him resulting in him triggering his explosive belt killing four of the officers and injuring others.

The Prophet's Mosque is particularly crowded during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which is supposed to be a time of charity but has seen spectacular attacks around the region.

Earlier, in Qatif, two suicide bombers blew themselves up one after the other outside the Faraj Al-Omran Mosque. No casualties were reported. A witness said a car bomb was detonated near the mosque, which was followed by a suicide attack just before 7 p.m. Police have launched an investigation into the attack.

Before that at 2:15 a.m., a suicide bomber blew himself up near the US Consulate in Jeddah. Security officers confronted him as he moved suspiciously at a parking lot of the Dr. Soliman Fakeih Hospital. Two policemen were wounded lightly in the attack.

Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, Interior Ministry spokesman, said the bomber, in his 30s, was identified as an expatriate from the Pakistan.

Photos taken from the scene showed the bomber's body dismembered by the blast.

Daesh has carried out a series of bombing and shooting attacks in Saudi Arabia since 2014 that have killed scores of people, mostly Shiites and members of the security services. In January, a suicide bomber attacked a mosque in Al-Ahsa, killing four people before worshippers disarmed and tied up an accomplice who had shot at them.

In October last year, a gunman opened fire on worshippers in Qatif, killing five people before he was shot dead by police.

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