Not less than 10 people have been confirmed dead in a suicide bombing which rocked a Shia mosque in Eastern province of Saudi Arabia on Friday, May 22, 2015.
BBC reports that the blast went off at Imam Ali Mosque in al-Qadeeh, Qatif governorate. Although this attack is the first of its kind in the area, there have been rising tension between the Sunni and Shia Muslims in the region.
According to the emergency doctor on call at Qatif Central Hospital, at least 70 people were injured with some in very critical conditions.
The Islamic State (IS) terrorist group had claimed responsibility for a similar attack in Yemen on a Shia mosque earlier on Friday, May 22, which left a dozen people injured. However, the group had yet to say anything about the Qatif bombing neither has any other group.
The attack had occurred during the Muslim Friday Jum’at prayers. Saudi interior ministry’s spokesperson revealed that the bomber had detonated a suicide belt inside the mosque which resulted in the deaths and injuries.
“Security authorities will spare no effort in the pursuit of all those involved in this terrorist crime,” the official said in a statement carried by state news agency SPA.
Qatif hospital has currently issued an urgent blood donation call and has even had to call in staff who were previously off duty to help deal with the high number of casualties.
