Saudi Arabia is on alert for jihadi attacks after a general and two other soldiers were killed by a suicide bomber in the first deadly assault along the country’s border with Iraq since it joined the US-led coalition fighting the so-called Islamic State.
The interior ministry in Riyadh blamed “terrorist elements” for the incident early, but did not name any group, though it is thought likely to be Isis, which controls large areas of Iraq as well as Syria.
The ministry said in a statement that a border patrol at al-Suwaif, near the city of Arar, was fired on. Border guards returned fire and killed two of four attackers. But during attempts to persuade another two to surrender, one detonated an explosive belt and killed himself and three of the border guards – one of whom was the commander of northern border forces, General Oudah al-Belawi.
The ministry said Saudi security forces were “determined to thwart … plots to undermine the security and stability of the homeland”. It referred to the attackers as Kharijites, a derogatory term for apostates.
The attack came amid uncertainty in Riyadh over news that King Abdullah, who is thought to be 91, has been in hospital with pneumonia. The next in line to the throne, Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, is in his late 70s and also said to be in poor health.
On Sunday, an Iraqi spokesman said Iraqi forces had driven off an Isis attack on a police post near the Saudi border. It was unclear if the two incidents were linked.
