Muslims across the world have expressed shock and outrage over bombing outside Prophet’s Mosque in Madinna – one of the holiest places in Islam – on Monday, after a suicide attacker detonated explosives in the parking space.
The attack killed four security officials who confronted the bomber upon suspicion. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack but ISIS is suspected to be behind it.
The bombing was part of a spate of coordinated attacks that hit Saudi Arabia Monday, near the end of holy month of Ramadan, during which ISIS-affiliated or inspired militants caused unusually high death and destruction on several places including Turkey, Bangladesh and Iraq.
The other two bombings in Saudi Arabia on Monday apparently targeted a Shia Mosque in eastern city of Qatif and US Consulate in Jeddah.
The Mosque of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) in Madinnah is a deeply revered place of worship as the second holiest place in Islam after Kaaba, the House of God, in Makkah, and is frequented by millions of pilgrims each year.
Monday’s suicide bombing hurt sentiments of Muslims around the world on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr, which marks culmination of Ramazan, the month of fasting. The attacks also drew widespread condemnation from around the world.
Several Muslims posted comments on the social media with #PrayForMadinah to express their sentiments.
“Suicide attack in the city of Muhammad ( PBUH) is a sad moment for humanity,” Malala Yousafzai’s faither Ziauddin Yousafzai wrote on twitter.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned Monday’s terrorist attacks in the Saudi cities of Jeddah, Qatif and Madinah sharif, and called for bringing those responsible to justice.
“These crimes are all the more despicable as they were carried out as residents were preparing for Eid al-Fitr celebrations to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan,” the secretary-general’s spokesman said in a statement released at UN Headquarters in New York.
The secretary-general expressed his “deepest” condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Saudi Arabia, wishing those injured a speedy recovery.”
In Geneva, the U.N. human rights chief called the suicide bombing outside the mosque of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) an attack on Islam itself.
Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights and a member of the Jordanian royal family, delivered his remarks via a spokesman in Geneva.
“This is one of the holiest sites in Islam, and for such an attack to take place there, during Ramadan, can be considered a direct attack on Muslims all across the world,” he said.
“It is an attack on the religion itself.”
According to Saudi Gazette, an official statement said the bomber blew up himself when the Maghrib prayer after the break of fast, was concluding at sunset.
“With Maghreb prayer drawing near on Monday in Madinah, security men suspected a man who was walking towards the Prophet’s Mosque across an open area that is being used as a parking lot for visitors. When they tried to stop him, he blew himself up resulting in his death and the martyrdom of four security men. Meanwhile, five other security men were injured. May they recover quickly,” spokesman of the Ministry of Interior Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki said.
