Mecca Grand Mosque Attack met with widespread outrage

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A damaged car is seen after a suicide bomber blew himself up in Mecca, Saudi Arabia June 23, 2017. Picture taken June 23, 2017. Saudi News Agency/Handout via REUTERS

Saudi Arabia says it has foiled a “terrorist action” against the Grand Mosque in Mecca – Islam’s holiest site.

At least 11 people, including five policemen, were wounded in the collapse of a three-storey building where the alleged terrorist had barricaded himself, the Saudi interior ministry announced in a statement. Five other people, including one woman, were detained during the operation, it added. The suicide bomber blew himself up some distance from his intended target after security officers surrounded the building he was in.

Saudi security forces work at a scene after a suicide bomber blew himself up in Mecca, Saudi Arabia June 23, 2017. Saudi News Agency

The news becomes especially alarming given the fact that the bomber was targeting Islam’s holiest site of Makkah. The incident does not come long after an ISIS sponsored attack was successful to an extent in the second holiest Islamic city: Medina. The event took place in the vicinity of  the Grand Mosque, where hundreds of thousands of worshipers had gathered for early afternoon prayers on the last Friday of this year’s Ramadan.

Debris is seen after a bomber blew himself up in Mecca, Saudi Arabia June 23, 2017. Saudi News Agency

 

Apart from the ministry spokesperson General Mansour al-Turki telling Saudi television that the police had “foiled the terrorist plan that targeted the security of the Grand Mosque, pilgrims and worshipers.”, the Saudi officials released no further details about the foiled attack. There is no confirmation as to the identity of the attacker nor any knowledge as to his purpose or allegiances.

 

Muslims all over the world were understandably outraged at the incident with responses coming from Muslim country officials to expressions of sentiment on social media.

The UAE’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan said the attempted attack would only increase “our will” to encounter those who support terrorism.

 

Similarly, Iraqi parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri told Al Arabiya News Channel in an interview on Friday evening that “liberating minds from extremist ideology” is far more important than just freeing territories seized by ISIS.

 

Pakistanis also expressed their sentiments and disgust on twitter.

 

 

 

 

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