ISIL targets mosque in Saudi Arabia

A suicide attack on a mosque inside the Special Forces headquarters in Saudi Arabia has killed 15 people. The attack took place in the city of Abha, located in the southern province of Asir which borders Yemen. Of the 15 people killed, twelve of those belonged to the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit. The ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack, which also left nine others wounded.

This is the largest attack by ISIL on the security forces of Saudi Arabia till date. It was also the most serious attack by ISIL committed on the Saudi soil. A group affiliated to ISIL had earlier targeted Shia mosques on successive Fridays in May in the Eastern province. According to some analysts, the ISIL is now at war with Riyadh and this has become a serious security concern for Saudi Arabia to tackle the Islamic State. After claiming responsibility for the attack, the ISIL said it was a message to militants held at Al Hair that they had not been forgotten.

The governor of Asir province, Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdel Aziz, visited the site of the attack and the injured in hospital where he condemned the bombing. “The attack is aimed at destabilising the country and sowing fear among citizens,” he said, according to the official Saudi Press agency. With Saudis also leading the attacks on ISIL in Syria in coalition with the US-led forces, there was fear of possible retaliation in the kingdom.

This ascent of the ISIS indicates that it is now the biggest terrorist threat to the world and now seems to have a wider reach than other groups like Al Qaeda did.

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