Five arrested after Saudi foils attack

Six foreign pilgrims were hurt on Friday in Saudi Arabia when a suicide bomber targeting the holiest site of Makkah blew himself up, the Interior Ministry said.

The incident happened around the Grand Mosque, where hundreds of thousands of worshippers gathered for early afternoon prayers on the last Friday of this year's Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month.

UAE strongly condemns terrorist attack in Makkah

The United Arab Emirates has strongly condemned the terror crime.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in a statement, condemned the crime in the strongest words, and said the heinous crime shows the level to which the brutality of these terrorists has reached. "No sane person can give any justification or explanation for such a crime," the statement said

Ministry spokesman General Mansour Al Turki told Saudi television that police "foiled the terrorist plan that targeted the security of the Grand Mosque, pilgrims and worshippers."

In dawn raids on the holy city Makkah and the Red Sea city of Jeddah officers arrested five suspects, including a woman, before surrounding the bomber's location around the Grand Mosque.

"Unfortunately he started shooting towards security personnel once he noticed their presence in the area, which led to an exchange of fire before he blew himself up," Turki said.

The blast partially collapsed the building where he had taken refuge, injuring the six pilgrims, Turki said.

He added that four had already been released from hospital, and five security men were also slightly hurt.

Since late 2014 Saudi Arabia has faced periodic bombings and shootings claimed by the Daesh group.

Purported images from the scene that circulated on social media showed an alley filled with bricks and other debris apparently from a blast.

Source: .khaleej Times