Cultural council condemns attack on Mecca's Grand Mosque

CAIRO – 24 June 2017: The Supreme Council of Culture condemned the failed attack on the Grand Mosque in Mecca in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

“Terror has no religion. This attack is a vicious attempt to target the first mosque in Islam,” said Hatem Rabiea, head of the Supreme Council of Culture, El Wattan reported

Rabiea added that the terrorists “lost their minds” and know nothing about real religion, belief or mercy.

“Saudi Arabia security forces succeeded in thwarting an attempted terrorist act targeting the Grand Mosque and worshippers by a terrorist group stationed in three locations,” said the security spokesman of the Saudi Interior Ministry, Mansour al-Turki, according to the Saudi Press Agency.


A suicide bomber blew himself up when security forces surrounded the building he was in, the interior ministry said.

The building collapsed, injuring 11 people, including police officers. Five other suspected militants have been taken into custody, the BBC reported Saudi officials as saying.