Suicide bomber strikes at U.S. consulate in Saudi Arabia
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 4 July 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Suicide bomber strikes at U.S. consulate in Saudi Arabia, 4 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57a43c4025.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
July 04, 2016
A suicide bomber has blown himself up outside the U.S. Consulate in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah.
Only the bomber was killed in the July 4 attack, although two Saudi police officers were injured in the incident.
Saudi state TV said that the attacker parked his car outside a hospital opposite the consulate in the early morning hours and detonated his device after being approached by the two security men, killing him and lightly wounding them.
In a statement, the U.S. Consulate said there were no casualties or injuries among its staff, adding that it and the U.S. Embassy were in contact with Saudi authorities investigating the incident.
In 2004, Al-Qaeda militants attacked the Jeddah Consulate, killing five locally hired employees. Four gunmen were killed in a shoot-out with security forces during that attack.
Islamic State has carried out a series of bombing and shooting attacks in Saudi Arabia since mid-2014 that have killed scores of people, mostly members of the Shi'ite Muslim minority and security services.
Based on reporting by BBC, AFP, and dpa
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
