But the attack near one of the holiest sites in Islam is a major escalation in its campaign. The attack killed four security officers outside the sprawling grounds of the mosque where the prophet Muhammad is buried. The group has urged attacks against the Saudi government on many occasions. The mosque complex is second only to the Grand Mosque in Mecca in its reverence by Sunnis and Shias. Suicide bombers appear to have targeted a security post outside the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, one of the two holiest sites in Islam, in an escalation not seen for decades.

Source: The Guardian July 04, 2016 19:35 UTC