Saudis identify suicide bomber, confirm link to IS

Authorities say jihadist who killed 21 Shiite worshippers was wanted by security services for terror connections

By AFP 23 May 2015, 11:45 pm

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A Saudi medic reacts following a blast inside a mosque, in the mainly Shiite Saudi Gulf coastal town of Qatif, 400 kms east of Riyadh, on May 22, 2015. A suicide bomber targeted a Shiite mosque during Friday prayers in Kudeih in Shiite-majority Qatif district, the interior ministry said, with activists saying at least four worshippers were killed. (AFP PHOTO / STR)

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia on Saturday identified the suicide bomber who on Friday killed 21 worshipers at a mosque for the minority Shiite community and confirmed his link to the Islamic State group.

“His name was Salih bin Abdulrahman Salih al-Ghishaami, a Saudi national,” the interior ministry said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.

“He was wanted by security services for belonging to a terrorist cell receiving directions from Daesh abroad,” it said, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

On Friday IS said it was behind the murders, the first time the group has officially claimed an attack in Saudi Arabia.

But it identified the bomber as Abu Amer al-Najdi.

“The cell was discovered last month, and so far 26 of its members, all Saudi nationals, have been arrested,” the interior ministry said.

“The criminal investigation lab examined the remains of the terrorist’s body and the crime scene, and it was determined that the type of explosives used was RDX.”