Saudis carrying religious flags and signs in English and Arabic blaming the Wahhabi stream of Sunni Islam’s ideology for recent suicide attacks on Shiite mosques in the kingdom, march in a funeral procession for Mansour Fateel on Saturday, May 30, 2015, in Tarut, Saudi Arabia. Thousands of Shiites took to the streets of eastern Saudi Arabia to remember Fateel, who died of his wounds to become the 22nd victim of the country’s deadliest terrorist bombing in years, and denounce attacks on their community. The sign at right says “3 saved me,” referring to the man seen in the picture at center and others who jumped on a suicide bomber in a second mosque attack Friday. Beneath his picture reads: “Abdel Jaleel al-Arbush. He fell martyr at the terrorist attack on the Imam Hussein Mosque in Dammam. Praises to the martyr.” AP
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – An Islamic State-affiliated group in Saudi Arabia has urged more attacks against Shiites, after ISIS claimed two bomb attacks on mosques in the kingdom.
An ISIS suicide bomber on Friday blew himself up at the entrance to a mosque in Saudi’s Eastern Province, killing three people, after security volunteers and police prevented him from entering during the weekly prayers.
The attack came exactly seven days after the jihadist group struck another Shiite mosque in the oil-rich region.
BACKSTORY: ISIS claims suicide bombing on Shiite mosque in Saudi, 4 dead
The so-called Najd Province, which claimed both bombings, defended attacks on Shiites and said they should be “killed everywhere”, in an audio message posted online late Friday.
The jihadist group “has ordered its soldiers everywhere to kill the enemies of religion, especially (Shiites),” a spokesman is heard saying in the audio message.
The unidentified speaker said Shiites were “apostates”, adding: “it is our duty to kill and displace them… wherever they may be”.
Four people were also wounded in Friday’s attack in the city of Dammam, which coincided with weekly prayers.
The attack sparked widespread condemnation.
The United States denounced the “brutality of the terrorists” and said it was committed to working with Saudi Arabia to fight extremism.
“We deplore the brutality of the terrorists who perpetuated this violence at places of worship,” said US State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke.
“The United States stands with the people of Saudi Arabia against this violence and remains committed to working with the Saudi government and our international partners to fight violent extremism in the region,” he added.
The 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation also condemned the “terrorist bombing attempt” against the Shiite mosque.
Its secretary general Iyad Madani, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS, said that this “failed attempt has revealed the even uglier face of the terrorist Daesh organisation.”
“These ugly crimes will not succeed in breaking apart the components of Saudi” society and will instead bring them closer, said Madani, himself a Saudi national.