‘Covered in blood’: Bomb strikes WWI memorial at Saudi cemetery

A bomb blast struck a World War I commemoration attended by French and different diplomats within the Saudi metropolis of Jeddah Wednesday, wounding no less than two folks within the second such assault in weeks.

The assault at a non-Muslim cemetery comes lower than a month after a guard on the French consulate in Jeddah was wounded by a knife-wielding Saudi citizen, amid anger amongst Muslim nations over satirical cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.

Diplomats from France, Greece, Italy, Britain and the United States had been in attendance on the Armistice Day commemoration ceremony within the Red Sea port metropolis, in response to a joint assertion from their embassies that condemned the “cowardly attack”.

“The annual ceremony commemorating the end of World War I at the non-Muslim cemetery in Jeddah, attended by several consulates, including that of France, was the target of an IED (improvised explosive device) attack this morning, which injured several people,” France’s international ministry stated.

The bombing, which an eyewitness stated left one of many panic-stricken attendees drenched in blood, comes as French President Emmanuel Macron has sought to assuage Muslim anger over the cartoons printed by the satirical journal Charlie Hebdo.

A Greek policeman residing within the kingdom was amongst these wounded, a Greek diplomatic supply informed AFP.

A British citizen was additionally believed to have been wounded.

A Saudi policeman suffered minor accidents, state-owned Al-Ekhbariya tv added, citing the governor of Mecca area, the place Jeddah is positioned.

“(Saudi) security services will launch an investigation into an incident of aggression during a gathering of a number of consuls in Jeddah,” Ekhbariya stated.

– ‘Covered in blood’ –

The bomb triggered panic because it went off whereas the French consul was delivering a speech on the ceremony, in response to eyewitness Nadia Chaaya.

“At the end of the speech we heard an explosion. We didn’t quite understand it at first, but we then realised that we were the target,” Chaaya informed France’s BFMTV.

“We were panicking and feared there could be a second explosion. We left the cemetery… and everyone went their separate ways.”

Mohammed Belmaziz, one other eyewitness, stated amid the pandemonium and screams he noticed one particular person whose face was “covered in blood”.

Roads main as much as the cemetery in central Jeddah had been blocked by Saudi site visitors police, in response to an AFP photographer on the scene.

While condemning the “shameful” assault, the embassies of the nations concerned within the commemoration lauded “brave Saudi first responders who assisted those at the scene”.

The European Union delegation within the kingdom additionally thanked Saudi emergency providers, whereas urging native authorities to carry a “prompt and thorough investigation” of the assault.

– ‘Extreme vigilance’ –

The French embassy in Riyadh has urged its nationals in Saudi Arabia to train “extreme vigilance” for the reason that assault on the Jeddah consulate on October 29, the identical day a knife-wielding man killed three folks at a church in Nice in southern France.

Several nations are marking the 102nd anniversary of the armistice signed by Germany and Allied nations to finish the struggle.

Macron has vigorously defended the best to publish cartoons seen as offensive by some, together with caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed.

The Charlie Hebdo cartoons had been proven by French historical past instructor Samuel Paty to pupils in a category on free speech, resulting in his beheading outdoors Paris on October 16 following an internet marketing campaign by dad and mom offended over his selection of lesson materials.

Macron’s stance angered many Muslims, prompting protests in a number of nations at which portraits of France’s president had been burnt, and a marketing campaign to boycott French merchandise.

Regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia — residence to Islam’s holiest websites — has criticised the cartoons, saying it rejected “any attempt to link Islam and terrorism” however stopped wanting condemning the French management.

Riyadh additionally “strongly” condemned final month’s assault in Nice.

On Tuesday, Macron hosted a summit of European leaders to plot a joint strategy on combating Islamist radicalism after 4 folks had been killed in a capturing rampage within the coronary heart of Vienna final week.