Mazin Abdul Adhim

Three bomb attacks took place in Saudi Arabia on July 4th, all of which gained global media attention. The attacks in Medina drew the most international attention for its proximity to Islam’s second-holiest site. Such attacks are not unprecedented in Saudi Arabia as the monarchy has taken part in numerous regional and international conflicts by arming militant groups and is currently at war in Yemen and arming groups in Syria. No entity has claimed responsibility for these attacks, but Saudi officials and much of the world have blamed ISIS. A closer examination of the details of the attacks can reveal the capabilities that were needed to conduct the attacks and point to potential perpetrators.

The first of the attacks took place just before the dawn prayers in a hospital car park in Jeddah, opposite the US embassy. The ‘suicide bomber’ blew himself up in an empty parking lot across the street from the US consulate. No one was killed or seriously harmed. Images from the attack show low damage to one vehicle.[1] This was a small detonation and points to the possibility that it was intended more for effect than actual damage. Whilst US embassies are hardened facilities with the main building which house embassy personnel well inside the outer parameter, the security for embassies is maintained by the host country. With only one person conducting the attack any group conducting such an attack would have targeted the embassy itself and attempted to get closer in order to cause damage. Being so close to the embassy and detonating an explosion in an area that would not affect the embassy indicates either the bomber changed his mind or the aim was never to cause casualties in the first place and was focused on the effect.

The next attack took place near the Mias market in the city of al-Qatif. This was the least remarkable of the attacks as there was no casualties due to taking place in an empty side street. Images from the scene show barely damaged buildings, including the building next to the explosion. Even the vehicles in close proximity show little damage.[2] The city of Qatif forms part of Saudi’s Eastern Province region and has long experienced low-level unrest originating from the Shi’ah community there. This attack required little sophistication and was a small detonation causing one casualty – the bomber himself. Once again a small detonation points to the possibility that it was intended more for effect than actual damage.

The final attack in Madinah took place in the middle of a parking lot full of empty cars just before the evening maghrib prayers. Images from the scene confirm the explosion only damaged a few surrounding vehicles and many with their windows intact and not blown out.[3] If the aim was to cause damage then just a few feet from where the explosion took place over 600,000 worshippers were gathering for evening prayers. Despite this opportunity to kill, it was a small explosion, and so damage or deaths appear not likely not to have been the aim. This is because suicide bombers usually seek to cause widespread damage and destruction. This was not the case in this attack.

[pullquote align=”right” color=”” class=”” cite=”” link=””]All three attacks took place in areas that were empty or almost empty. The casualties were also small; this is important as suicide attacks aim for maximum casualties to make their point[/pullquote]

Analysing all these attacks shows very small damage to buildings, vehicles and peoples in an empty and localised area. Two of the three attacks had no casualties at all and the one in Madinah was in the middle of a parking lot with empty cars, where the casualties appear to be unintended. All three attacks took place in areas that were empty or almost empty. The casualties were also small; this is important as suicide attacks aim for maximum casualties to make their point. All the attacks could have been carried out through other means which did not need a suicide bomber such as via vehicles rigged to detonate or a bag placed on the ground with explosives in them.

The political context these attacks take place in are also important. This is because attacks do not take place in a vacuum or by madman hell bent on death and destruction, but there are always political aims whether local, regional or international. Saudi Arabia is at war in Yemen is and it is also participating in Syria. Saudi is in a regional battle with Iran who supports the Shi’ah within Saudi Arabia which has long worried the Saudi Monarchy. But the Yemeni and Syrian war along with the collapse in oil prices has seriously eroded the monarchy which is struggling economically. The war in Yemen has dragged on longer than was anticipated and some sort of reprisal attacks can be expected. These attacks have been used to give credence to the monarchy claims that Saudi needs to stay the course in regional conflicts as it is also under attack. The Saudi monarchy has gained the most from these attacks as they are being used to justify the war in Yemen. The attacks were small in scale which points to damage and deaths not being the aim. Whoever conducted these attacks was looking to create opinion rather than actually cause damage or deaths.

[1] http://imgur.com/YiKeuQK

[2] http://imgur.com/3p5Z3UJ

[3] http://imgur.com/Zos3sqc