Saudi security forces work at the scene where a suicide bomber blew himself up in Mecca on Friday. The Interior Ministry said it launched a raid around Jiddah, as well as two areas in Mecca itself, including the Ajyad Al-Masafi neighbourhood, located near the Grand Mosque. The blast wounded six foreigners and five members of the security forces, according to an Interior Ministry statement. The Interior Ministry said the thwarted "terrorist plan" would have violated"all sanctities by targeting the security of the Grand Mosque, the holiest place on Earth". The Grand Mosque has been the target of militants before, in part because it represents a symbol of the ruling Al Saud family's clout in the Islamic world.

Source: Bangkok Post June 24, 2017 07:18 UTC