2014 al-Dalwah attack
| 2014 al-Dalwah attack | |
|---|---|
 Location on Eastern Province in Saudi Arabia | |
| Location | al-Dalwah, al-Ahsa, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia |
| Date | 3 November 2014 |
| Target | shia mosque |
Attack type | mass shooting |
| Weapons | Guns |
| Deaths | 5 |
Non-fatal injuries | 9 |
| Perpetrators | Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant |
The 2014 al-Dalwah attack occurred on 3 November 2014 at al-Dalwah village in the eastern province of al-Ahsa, when three unknown masked gunmen shot at a group of people killing at least seven and injuring dozens.[1][2][3] The attack occurred on Ashura and is thought to be targeting Shi’ite Muslims. Six people have since been arrested and one suspect has been killed.
On 4 November at least 2 police and two gunmen were killed in operation after 5 people were shot dead and another wounded.[4] According to Saudi security, the leader of the gunmen had previously slipped back into the kingdom after fighting in Iraq and Syria.[1]
While the government and the official media and religious establishment strongly condemned the attack, a handful of articles in the Saudi press argued that the attack "had not come out of nowhere", that there was anti-Shi'ite incitement in the kingdom on the part of "the religious establishment, preachers, and even university lecturers – and that it was on the rise".[5]
Details
On 24 November, 21 days after the attack, the Saudi Interior Ministry revealed the identity of the attackers on the Al dalwah Shiite shrine in Al-Ahsa: Abdullah Al-Sarhan, Khalid Anzi, Marwan Nail, and Tariq Maimoni. Saudi security authorities have arrested 77 people linked to ISIS.[6]
References
- 1 2 Coogle, Adam. "Dispatches: Killings of Saudi Shia a Wakeup Call". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
- ↑ "Five killed in Saudi Arabia shooting". aljazeera.com. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ↑ "Saudi forces kill suspect in attack on Shi'ites marking Ashoura". Reuters. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ↑ Al Jazeera and agencies. "Deadly security raid in Saudi after shooting". aljazeera.com. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ↑ "Saudi Columnists: There Is Anti-Shi'ite Incitement In Our Country". December 10, 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
- ↑ "73 Saudis, 4 expats were arrested for suspecting in Al-Dalwah village crime". December 14, 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.