Riyadh, August 30: Al Qaeda Sunday claimed responsibility for a terrorist attack that targeted a Saudi prince and deputy interior minister, the pan-Arab al-Jazeera TV reported.
The terrorist organisation’s branch in the Arabian peninsula said in a statement published on an Islamist website that the perpetrator of the blast, which lightly wounded the Saudi prince, traveled to the Gulf kingdom through Yemen.
According to the statement, the bomber managed to get through all the inspections at Najiran and Jeddah airports and traveled on the prince’s private plane by claiming that he wanted to hand himself over to Saudi officials and abandon Al Qaeda principles.
Abdallah Hassan Tali al-Asiri, nicknamed Abul Khair, exploded the suicide bomb near the deputy interior minister. The bomber was included in a list of 85 wanted terrorists in the kingdom.
Saudi Deputy Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef sustained minor injuries to his hand in the attack. He said he himself was the one who ordered guards not to search the man who arrived at the prince’s home in Jeddah to attend a gathering celebrating the holy month of Ramadan.
Meanwhile, his father and Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul-aziz said he will not deviate from his policy for militants to repent.
–Agencies