Daesh claimed responsibility via Twitter for a Friday attack on a Shiite mosque in Saudi Arabia’s Dammam that killed four people, reported Reuters.
A government spokesman told the Saudi state news agency SPA that the attack targeted worshippers in Dammam’s al-Anoud mosque during Friday prayers.
A suspicious car parked near the mosque exploded as security forces approached it, SPA said. Four people were killed in the blast, including the driver of the car.
A Daesh statement posted on Twitter identified the suicide car bomber as Abu Jandal al-Jizrawi, adding that he was able to complete the attack despite heightened security.
Last week, Daesh claimed a suicide bombing that killed 21 worshippers during Friday prayers at a Shiite mosque in Saudi Arabia. Last week’s bombing was the first attack claimed by Daesh in the majority-Sunni kingdom.
Saudi Arabia is currently involved in an air campaign against Iran-backed Shiite Houthi insurgents in neighboring Yemen, which has intensified sectarian tensions in the region. The kingdom’s involvement in US-led coalition airstrikes against Daesh in Syria and Iraq has also sparked fears of backlash within Saudi Arabia.
