Saudi Arabia arrest 19 people over bomb attacks

Meanwhile, the council extolled performance of Saudi Arabia’s security forces in thwarting barbaric acts, expressing its appreciation to the cohesion between the Saudi people and their wise leadership aiming to protect religion and the country.

The crown prince, who is credited with ending am al Qaeda bombing campaign in Saudi between 2003 and 2006, survived a suicide bombing in his office in 2009.

“We stand – as we have stood – with the people of Saudi Arabia as they confront the scourge of terrorism”.

Saudi security personnel gather at the site of the suicide attack near the security headquarters of the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina City.

The attacks all seem to have been timed to coincide with the approach of Eid al-Fitr, the holiday that celebrates the end of the Islamic holy month.

The Saudi interior ministry said officers became suspicious of a man heading for the Prophet’s Mosque through a parking lot. “I am shocked by the deaths of five of my brothers and the wounding of four others as they guarded the holiest places”.

The possibility of co-ordinated attacks across different cities in Saudi Arabia on the same day underscores the threat the kingdom faces from extremists who view the Western-alliedSaudi monarchy as heretics and enemies of Islam. Several cars caught fire and thick plumes of black smoke were seen rising from the site of the explosion as thousands crowded the streets around the mosque.

The latest bombing even caused outrage among Isil’s sympathisers on social media, who attempted to distance themselves from the attack.

A man died in Jeddah on Monday when attempting to detonate a bomb.

The special emergency force of Saudi is composed of quick response security officers who conduct rescues, riot control and other police actions.

The ministry said the bomber, Abdullah Gulzar Khan, had been residing in Jeddah with his wife and her parents for 12 years and had worked as a driver.

An official of the U.S. state department said no American citizens or consulate staff were hurt in the Jeddah blast.

IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has called for attacks against Saudi Arabia, which is taking part in the US-led coalition bombing the group in Syria and Iraq. In June, the Interior Ministry reported 26 terror attacks in the last two years.