Al Masjid Al Nabawi is one of the two Holy Mosques in Saudi Arabia. The other is in Mecca, seen above [Xinhua]
A suicide bomber detonated his explosives in what initial footage appeared to show was a car park near a security building situated near the Prophet Mohammed Mosque in the Saudi city of Medina, local media reported on Monday evening.
The mosque (also known as the Masjid Al Nabawi in Arabic) is considered to be the burial place of the prophet, and Medina is the second holiest city in Islam.
Earlier, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya news network reported as many as two other bombings at mosques frequented by members of the Shia majority in the city of Qatif.
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, or ISIS) has previously claimed responsibility for similar attacks on the Shia community.
Late on Sunday, a suicide bomber was killed when he detonated his explosives near the US Consulate in Jeddah. Two people were also wounded.
The attacks in Saudi Arabia come a day after a truck packed with explosives exploded in the popular Karada district of the Iraqi capital Baghdad killing more than 200 and wounding hundreds.
ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack.
It also claimed responsibility for an attack and hostage-taking at a popular cafe in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka late on Friday and early Saturday. Twenty people were killed when security forces stormed the cafe to rescue the hostages.
On June 28, at least 45 people were killed and dozens more wounded when three terrorists believed to be members of ISIL stormed three levels of Istanbul’s Ataturk airport and opened fire indiscriminately.
They then detonated their suicide bomb vests killing those who approached them.
The BRICS Post with inputs from Agencies
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