Saudi Arabia IDs mosque attacker as 22-year-old national

Four people were killed and 36 injured when one of the suicide bombers blew himself up and his accomplice opened fire Friday after security men stopped them at the gate of the mosque during the congregational prayers.

IS, a radical Sunni group that considers Shiites heretics, did not claim that attack.

In its report, the Gazette said some 532 IS suspects accused of plotting attacks are now being questioned.

The suspects were members of 6 cells rounded up in pre-emptive raids in various parts of the kingdom.

Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. He was later arrested along with two other Saudi nationals – Fuad Muhammad Yahya Al-Dahawi and Saleh Fahad Dhakeel Al-Diraan – who were involved in the Abha mosque attack.

Saudi Arabia says it intends to give anyone assisting the government in foiling terrorist attacks seven million riyals ($1.86 million) as a reward.

Quoting a local police source, the Saudi Press Agency reported that the incident had occurred on Sunday morning in Qatif’s city of Seihat, “where policemen on patrol came under intense fire by unidentified attackers”.

The Arabic-language al-Watan newspaper, quoting unnamed security officials, reported on Saturday that the four USA citizens were detained on Tuesday, bringing the total number of US citizens detained in Saudi Arabia since 2007 up to nine.

Also arrested were 14 Saudis, three Yemenis, two Syrians, an Indonesian, a Filipino, an Emirati, a Kazakhstan national and a Palestinian, the Gazette said.

The US embassy refused to immediately respond to a request for comment.

Saudi Arabia has witnessed sporadic suicide attacks in recent months.

Attacks by supporters of IS in Saudi Arabia include two bombings and two mass shootings at mosques.