People Gathering at the site of the attack in support of Security Forces

Al-Ahsa- Four people were martyred, and 36 injured, among which were security men, after two suicide bombers attacked Imam Rida Mosque in Mahasen neighborhood in the al-Ahsa region during Friday prayers on Jan. 29.

Major General Mansour Al-Turki, Saudi Arabian Ministry of Interior Spokesman, told Asharq Al-Awsat that security forces were investigating the involvement of a third terrorist, who could have managed to escape.

Eyewitnesses agreed that the vigilance of security forces and watchmen have kept the attack from turning into a bloody massacre, after the first terrorist failed to detonate his explosive belt amid the crowd gathered for prayers.

Moreover, after a round of bullets was exchanged with security men, a second terrorist wearing an explosive belt was also captured.

Most witnesses’ testimonies pointed out that the attack had started at quarter past noon (12:15 PM) of Friday Jan. 29, timing when the targeted Mosque overflowed with about 600 praying visitors.

Attestations narrated that after the terrorist looming around the mosque, security forces’ suspicions were raised, and they ordered to close down the mosque, in order to keep the attacker from penetrating the crowd.

However, the suicide bomber managed to walk-in through a back door, firing off rounds of fire. After running out of bullets, a man in the crowd managed to hit the attacker with a chair knocking him down, rendering the terrorist’s efforts to detonate himself futile.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz received condolences, along with utter condemnations of the attacks, from several Arabian countries.

Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein King of Jordan, confirmed his country’s stance on denouncing the attacks and standing side by side with Saudi Arabia in its fight against terrorism. Moreover, both Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates affirmed their support of Riyadh in its counterterrorism efforts.

Furthermore, Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia Abdul-Aziz ibn Abdullah Al Shaykh defined the series of attacking Mosques to be nothing but a vindictive criminal series.