Militant Islamist group claims Saudi bombing

Saudi followers of al-Qaeda have claimed responsibility for today's suicide bombing that targeted a security forces' headquarters…

Saudi followers of al-Qaeda have claimed responsibility for today's suicide bombing that targeted a security forces' headquarters in the capital Riyadh and vowed more bombings against government symbols.

A statement by a group calling itself Al Haramain Brigades, published by at least two Islamist websites, said the attack targeted special security and anti-terrorism units in the kingdom.

"Al Haramain Brigades in the Arab peninsula succeeded in bombing the command headquarters of emergency and anti-terrorism forces of the Interior Ministry of the apostate al-Saloul (Saudi) government," said the statement in Arabic.

The group said it followed the path of Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda group against the Saudi authorities.

READ MORE

In yesterday's attack, a suicide car bomber destroyed a security forces building, killing four people and wounding 148. A Saudi official said there was "no doubt" the attack was by Saudi-born bin Laden's al-Qaeda.

Al Haramain, the name of Islam's two holiest sites in the Saudi cities of Mecca and Medina, has previously claimed responsibility for a bomb attack in December on a Saudi security officer's car and has vowed to kill any others battling militants in the conservative Gulf Arab state.

Addressing Saudi security forces, the group vowed to avenge the killing of several top wanted militants in the kingdom. "We will only heal our wounds through blessed jihad [holy war]."

The statement mentioned, among other militants, Khaled Ali Ali Haj, a Yemeni man believed to be a top al-Qaeda operative in the kingdom who was shot dead by security forces in March.