RIYADH: A suicide bomber disguised as a woman blew himself up outside a mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia on Friday, killing himself and three other people, the second attack of its kind in the kingdom in one week.

The bombing, which was claimed by the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS), could escalate sectarian tensions in the kingdom.

The Interior Ministry said a suicide bomber disguised in women’s clothes blew himself up outside the al-Anoud mosque’s entrance in the city of Dammam during Friday prayers.

Witnesses said the suicide bomber, who wore an Abaya, blew himself up in the Shia mosque’s parking lot when guards searching worshippers became suspicious of him.

The ministry said four people, including the bomber, were killed in the blast, which also set several cars ablaze.

Residents circulated pictures of the body of a man believed to be the suicide bomber as well as pictures of black clouds of smoke billowing over a parking lot outside the mosque.

Video posted on social media showed the congregation inside the mosque reacting with shock and alarm to the noise of the explosion outside the building.

An IS statement named the suicide bomber as Abu Jandal al-Jizrawi and said he had managed to reach his target despite heightened security.

The IS also claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing last week at a Shia mosque in al-Qadeeh village, near al-Qatif city, that killed 21 and wounded nearly 100 in the bloodiest militant attack in the kingdom in years.

After the bombing, the kingdom had sought to calm sectarian tensions. Saudi Arabia’s King Salman denounced the al-Qadeeh bombing and promised to punish anyone linked to it.

King Salman also sent Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef to convey condolences to the families concerned.

Members of the Shia community staged separate protests in Dammam and in the village of al-Qadeeh on Friday evening, demanding an end to sectarianism, witnesses said.

The IS openly acknowledges it is trying to stir sectarian confrontation as a way of hastening the overthrow of the ruling Al Saud family, and has urged young Sunnis in the kingdom to attack targets including Shias.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2015

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