Suicide bombers have hit three Saudi Arabian cities in the past 24 hours; ISIS is believed to be responsible for the attacks.
These are the latest installments in a series of coordinated attacks believed to be orchestrated by ISIS. Two of the attacks failed, but four people were killed in the third attack. These attacks targeted Saudi security forces as well as areas that had Western influence.
The first attack occurred near the U.S. consulate in Jeddah. The attacker killed himself after detonating an explosive. Police officers were injured in the attack.
The second attack occurred in Qatif, located in eastern Saudi Arabia. A suicide bomber tried to launch an attack at a Shiite mosque. The failed attack resulted in the bomber’s death. No one was injured in the attack.
The third attack was the deadliest one. It occurred in Medina and left four people dead and one person wounded. The bomber targeted security officers.
Although no one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, they are thought to have been carried out by ISIS. They follow attacks orchestrated by ISIS in Turkey, Bangladesh, Yemen, and Iraq that left many people dead.
“Saudi Arabia is a big target for them. They have a lot of Saudi fighters in their ranks. They regard the Saudi monarchy as having betrayed Islam,” said Tim Lister, a CNN expert on Middle East affairs. He continued by explaining that the Saudi attacks fit the “modus operandi” of ISIS and that it is trying to prove that it “can punch above its weight.”
Investigations are still being conducted as to who is responsible for the attacks in Saudi Arabia.
