ISTANBUL/WASHINGTON
Thirteen people were killed Thursday, 10 of whom were special emergency forces, in a suspected suicide attack targeting a mosque in southwestern Saudi city of Abha, the Saudi Ministry of Interior announced.
The official Saudi News Agency quoted the security spokesman of the Saudi Ministry of Interior as saying: “While members of the special emergency forces in the province of Asir were praying noon prayers together at a forces’ mosque, an explosion took place in the midst of the worshippers, leading to the martyrdom of 10 members of the forces and three of the site’s workers.”
The spokesman confirmed that “nine others were injured, three of them severely, and body parts were found in the rubble, thought be caused by the detonation of explosive belts.”
“The incident is still under investigation by the relevant security agencies,” the Ministry of the Interior said.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Mark Toner condemned the “brutality” of the attack.
“It was an unprovoked attack on Muslims who were peacefully worshipping and praying,” he said.
Daesh has claimed responsibility for the attack, which is the first of its kind in targeting Saudi security forces. The extremists claimed responsibility for two bombings in the kingdom that targeted Shia mosques in May.
