Manama: Around 70 people were performing Maghreb (sunset) prayers when police foiled a suicide attack on Al Mustafa Mosque in Qatif in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.
“The worshippers were in the middle of the prayers when we heard gunshots in the vicinity of the mosque, but we continued the prayers,” Ali Al Aadi, the man in charge of the Shiite mosque, said. “It was only after the prayers that we realised there was an attempt to attack it. When people came out, they saw the heavy security presence and the patrols securing the area,” he said in remarks published by Saudi daily Al Sharq on Thursday.
Al Aadi said security around the mosque was beefed up after worshippers reported that two strangers approached them and asked questions about the mosque.
“It was two weeks ago, and the men came to ask questions at around 3am. Security officials were contacted and informed about the two strangers and the worshippers’ suspicions. The officials were very appreciative and cooperative,” he added.
Police foiled the attack after they shot a terrorist who got off his car around 100 metres from the mosque, Al Aadi said. “I do commend the security men for their tremendous efforts in the service of the country and the people, and I call on everyone to report any suspicious behaviour to the police to help thwart attempts to undermine security or erode stability.”
The mosque, located in a residential area, can accommodate up to 500 worshippers, Al Aadi added.
A spokesperson for the Saudi Interior Ministry said that the terrorist who wanted to blow himself up among worshippers in the mosque had an identity card identifying him as a Pakistani expatriate.
The bomber had planned to commit the suicide attack on Tuesday during the Maghreb (sunset) prayers at the Mustafa Mosque in Um Al Hamam in the Qatif region, the spokesperson said.
However, the security personnel in the vicinity of the mosque spotted him and approached him seeking to question his suspicious movements. The bomber, realising that he had been discovered, tried to detonate the explosives inside the sports bag he was carrying on his back, the ministry said on Wednesday afternoon.
The police opened fire to neutralise him and to remove the bag before he could detonate the explosives he was carrying. He was taken to hospital, but died on the way, the ministry added.
The bag was found to contain four kilogrammes of explosives.
Police found an identity card that identified the man as a Pakistani expatriate.
