DAMMAM — Security in and around the Eastern Province has been beefed up after the Friday suicide bombing outside a mosque in Dammam's densely populated Al-Anoud area in which four people, including the suspected suicide bomber, were killed.
Assad Saud, spokesman for the health department in the Eastern Province, said all injuries in the blast were minor. The injured were discharged from the hospital on Friday itself, he said.
Meanwhile, the anti-terrorist squad is keeping a close eye on all sensitive spots and every worshipper in every mosque is being frisked. The police has been put on high alert. All public places including parks, beaches, shopping malls, hospitals and hotels are being closely monitored by security personnel.
Authorities have enhanced security at sensitive spots in Qatif and Al-Ahsa regions to ensure that terrorist do not succeed in their evil designs.
Security which was enhanced at the King Fahd Causeway after the Qudaih bombing has been further beefed up. Each car and heavy vehicle entering from Bahrain or leaving the Kingdom is being thoroughly checked and people are being frisked. Special screening gadgets and detectors have been installed.
“We are not taking any chances. We do understand the trouble and hard time faced by people due to the long wait at the causeway. But I am sure they will appreciate that all this is for their security. We are happy that every passenger is cooperating with us,” said a security official at the causeway.
The immigration and customs departments have opened more windows and increased their staff to cope with the crowd but Friday and Saturday being weekends the long queues at the immigration counters on the Kingdom side are unending.
Abdullah Al-Homod, a resident next to the mosque, said that these terrorists have no religion, no mind, and no heart.
“They are trying to divide our community but they can't succeed, because we are united and we are one nation,” he said, adding, “I am a Muslim and a Shia and I love my country and love my neighborhood. We are one nation. No one can create division among us.”
Husain Al-Nimir said, “these people want to divide us. We know their plans. They will not succeed, because we are brothers and sisters and we all stand against these terrorists.”
Abdullah Ali, another resident who live near the mosque, said the country will foil all such attempts to divide the nation. “We love our King and we love our country. I want to tell the world that we are one nation,” he said.
Some commuters said they had to wait for hours before they were cleared. “In the scorching heat, it is hard to wait especially with family and children for long hours in the sun,” said Ali Al-Dossary, of Akhrabiyah district in Al-Khobar.
People in Al-Anoud area condemned the attack and said it was a pre-planned move to fan sectarianism.
“We will not fall victim to such designs,” said Ali Mazroui, a resident of Al-Anoud area.
“There were more than 5,000 worshippers inside the mosque and had the terrorist succeeded in entering the mosque, it would have been a massive tragedy,” he said.
