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SAUDI BOMB ATTACKS

Deadly suicide blast at Islamic holy site in Medina near the grave of the Prophet where thousands gathered ahead of the end of Ramadan

Four people are killed in the third attack in Saudi Arabia in just one day

A SUICIDE bomber has struck at one of Islam's holiest sites in Saudi Arabia.

Four people have been killed outside the mosque in Medina where the Prophet Muhammad is buried.

 Suicide blast ... It is thought the attack was intended to kill security personnel and worshippers
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Suicide blast ... It is thought the attack was intended to kill security personnel and worshippersCredit: Reuters

It is the third suicide bombing in Saudi Arabia in one day.

It is believed terrorists are attempting to attack civilians ahead of the end of Ramadan - the holy month in which Muslims fast during daylight hours.


 Explosion ... An eyewitness described the blast as sounding like a building imploding
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Explosion ... An eyewitness described the blast as sounding like a building implodingCredit: Twitter
 Panic ... The cloud of smoke shows how close the attack got to the throngs of worshippers
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Panic ... The cloud of smoke shows how close the attack got to the throngs of worshippersCredit: Twitter

Thousands of pilgrims were at the site on Monday evening when the bomber struck at around 8:30pm local time (6:30pm BST).

Pictures and video footage show flames rising near the crowds who were gathered for evening prayers.

The country's Interior Ministry said the attacker set off the bomb in the car park after being spotted by police.

An eye-witness described the blast as being so powerful it sounded like a "building imploded".

 Target ... Emergency services can be seen arriving near the blast site
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Target ... Emergency services can be seen arriving near the blast siteCredit: Twitter

The bombing came just hours after two other suicide blasts in the Saudi cities of Qatif and Jeddah, where no one apart from the bombers was killed or seriously injured.

The attack in Jeddah, also known as Jiddah, took place near a U.S. diplomatic building.

The Qatif bomb is thought to have been aimed at attacking the city's Shiite muslims - targets of past ISIS atrocities.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks.


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