Manama: Sources in Saudi Arabia said that the death toll in the blast that targeted a mosque on Friday noon went up to 22.
A field hospital was set up at the King Abdullah base in Al Qateef in the Eastern province to ease pressure on other hospitals and to receive blood donors to help the injured, sources told local news site Sabq.
UAE condemns mosque attack
According to the latest figures 75 people were injured when a man blew himself up as worshippers congregated for the collective prayers at Imam Ali Mosque in Al Qadeeh.
Several volunteers have reportedly contacted hospitals to donate blood.
Five hospitals have been designated to treat the injured, the sources added.
The authorities said that a man blew himself up amid worshippers and that an investigation into the blast had been launched.
The interior ministry said that the security authorities would not spare any effort “to identify and arrest all those implicated in the heinous act of terrorism.”
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“Those aiming to tear at the national fabric in the Saudi kingdom will be arrested and brought to justice,” the ministry said.
Officials issued statements condemning the attack and insisting on the sanctity of innocent people’s lives.
“Islam has clearly banned frightening peaceful people for any reason,” Ahmad Al Hazmi, the head of Islamic affairs ministry office in Jazan in the south of the country, said. “Killing them is a terrible crime that is condemned by all. We will not be intimidated by such abominable acts and we will stand together against them,” he said.
Saudis rushed to social media to condemn the attack and to distance the local communities from “the attempt to sow divisions and fuel sectarianism in the kingdom.”
“On behalf of my family and my tribe, I utterly condemn this heinous attack in Al Qateef,” Mohammad Al Fadhli wrote. “Killing innocent people is strictly banned in our religion regardless of the differences among sects. We urge the authorities to step up action to arrest the criminals and bring them to justice,” he posted.
For Shams, another blogger, the perpetrator of the attack was a coward.
“He wanted to incite sectarianism and sow hatred in our communities,” she said. “The traitors behind the attack want to turn the Saudi kingdom into another Syria, Iraq or Yemen. We pray to God to punish them severely.”
Shinbish prayed the perpetrators would be punished without any mercy.
“This act is totally against the teachings and orders of God,” he said. “We pray that the souls of the dead rest in eternal peace and that the injured recover quickly. We also pray that the perpetrators, whoever they may be, be punished severely.”
