Multiple Explosions Shake the Cities of Qatif and Medina in Saudi Arabia

Reports indicate that several bomb explosions shook the Shiite-populated city of Qatif in eastern Saudi Arabia on the evening of Monday, July 14, and a suicide bomber detonated his explosive device near a security center at the Prophet's Mosque in Medina. According to reports from the Associated Press and Reuters, the explosion of a car bomb and a suicide bomber rattled Qatif as residents were breaking their fast. Eyewitnesses reported seeing human body parts scattered near the explosion site. One eyewitness stated that one of the explosions destroyed a vehicle near the 'Hussein Al-Imran' mosque, which belongs to Shiites, and the second explosion occurred shortly before 7 PM local time. This witness added that he saw human body parts, likely belonging to the attacker. The majority of Qatif's population is Shiite, a minority in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet, but in the past, the Islamic State (ISIS) has carried out several attacks against Shiites in this city. On the other hand, Reuters reported, citing Al Arabiya television, that several suicide bombers detonated their explosives near a security center at the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, the second holiest city for Muslims. Images shared on social media show a column of smoke rising near this mosque. Initial reports indicate that in these bombings, three bombers and two security personnel were killed. Early on Monday, Saudi state websites reported a suicide attack against the US consulate in Jeddah, injuring two guards. Today's explosions occur at the end of Ramadan.