US condemns terror strikes in Mali, Saudi Arabia

WASHINGTON — The United States on Saturday condemned deadly terror strikes in Mali and Saudi Arabia, and offered condolences to both nations over the loss of life.

At least 12 people, including four foreign UN contractors, died in a hostage standoff at a hotel in central Mali.

The siege ended early Saturday when government troops stormed the building.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia said a suicide bomber who detonated an explosives-packed vest in a mosque inside a police headquarters, killing 15 people on Thursday, was one of its own citizens.

“The United States strongly condemns the recent deplorable terrorist attacks in Mali and Saudi Arabia,” said National Security Council spokesperson Ned Price.

The attack claimed “the lives of 15 Saudi servicemen while they were at prayer,” he added.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims, and wish for the speedy recovery of the wounded. We express solidarity with the governments whose citizens were among the victims,” Price added.

“That the victims came from different nations and faiths highlights the common cause that the United States and its partners must continue to make in the global effort to confront and defeat terrorists who have no regard for human life and diversity.”

The Islamic State group, which controls swaths of Syria and Iraq, has expanded across the region, claiming responsibility for attacks on two Shiite mosques in Saudi Arabia in May and a third in Kuwait in June.