Saudi Arabia identifies bomber in ISIS-claimed mosque blast

AP , Tuesday 27 Oct 2015

Najran mosque
Saudi men chat near a mosque in Najran, Saudi Arabia. Saudi state television says a bomb has exploded in a mosque in the south of the kingdom, killing at least one person (Photo: AP)

Saudi Arabia says one of its citizens carried out the suicide bombing at a mosque in the country's south the previous night — an attack for which the Islamic State group claimed responsibility.

Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki identified the bomber on Tuesday as 34-year-old Saad Saeed Saad al-Harthy.

The blast struck the mosque belonging to the Ismaili Shiite minority in the city of Najran after sunset Monday, killing one person and wounding several others.

The SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist activity online, says an ISIS affiliate known as "Hijaz Province" claimed it carried out the attack.

It was the fourth bombing targeting Saudi mosques and claimed by ISIS affiliates since May. The group considers Shiites as heretics and seeks to weaken the ruling Al-Saud family's legitimacy.

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