AFP
Riyadh


Two people were killed yesterday in a suicide bombing at a mosque in the Saudi city of Najran that was claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group.
The attack occurred just after Maghrib early evening prayers at the Al-Mashad mosque in the southern city’s Dahza neighbourhood, said the Saudi interior ministry.
The IS militant group claimed responsibility for the attack on what it said was an Ismaili Shia mosque, said SITE Intelligence Group, a US monitoring organisation.
Al-Hijaz Province, a group affiliated to IS, said on Twitter that a fighter named Abu Ishaq al-Hijazi detonated his explosive belt at the mosque, causing “many” casualties.
In August, the same group claimed another blast in Saudi Arabia’s southern region. Fifteen people died in that suicide bombing at a mosque frequented by members of a police special weapons and tactics unit in Abha city.
“As worshippers were leaving the mosque, a person wearing a suicide belt entered and blew himself up amongst them,” the ministry said of the latest attack.
It said one person was killed at the scene and a second died later of injuries. The wounded were taken to hospital, it said without giving a number.
Saudi news channel Al-Ekhbariya earlier said that apart from the initial death, 12 people were wounded. It had also reported that the attacker was wounded.
On its Twitter account, the ministry said investigators found a vehicle belonging to the bomber.
The vehicle contained a letter to his parents about his crime, the ministry added.
In mid-October, five people were killed after a gunman opened fire on a Shia meeting hall in the Eastern city of Saihat.
Najran is on the frontline of a Saudi-led coalition war against the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Shells fired from Yemen have landed in Najran, and Saudi troops on the border have skirmished with rebels since the coalition in March began air strikes against the Houthis.