4 WOUNDED IN BOMB BLAST AT WWI MEMORIAL IN JEDDAH

Wed 11 November 2020:

A bomb attack at a World War I commemoration ceremony in the Saudi city of Jeddah left “several people” injured on Wednesday, French officials said.

The French Foreign Ministry said that an “IED” went off at the non-Muslim cemetery in Jeddah.

Diplomats and consulate staff from several countries, including France, had gathered there to commemorate the end of WWI.

“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,” the ministry said.

“France strongly condemns this cowardly, unjustifiable attack.”

The explosion was confirmed by an official from Greece who declined to be named.

“There was some sort of a blast at the non-Muslim cemetery in Jeddah. There are four slightly injured, among them one Greek,” the official said, without providing further details.

France has urged its citizens in the kingdom to be “on maximum alert” amid heightened tensions after an assailant decapitated a French middle school teacher who showed caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in class.

“In particular, exercise discretion and stay away from all gatherings and be cautious when moving around,” said a foreign ministry statement, which was circulated to French residents in Jeddah.

Saudi officials have yet to comment on the attack and Saudi state-run media did not report it. King Salman is also scheduled to deliver an annual address to the nation on Wednesday, laying out policy priorities for the coming year.

Wednesday’s blast came as French President Emmanuel Macron – the target of ire in much of the Muslim world for promising to defend comments and images disparaging Islam following a spate of attacks – attended a WWI memorial ceremony in Paris.

Macron has vigorously defended the right to publish cartoons viewed as extremely offensive by Muslims, including caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad printed by satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

Wednesday marks the 102nd anniversary of the end of World War I, when Germany and Allied signed an armistice to put an end to the fighting. The day is celebrated by several countries, with the French Embassy reportedly organizing Wednesday’s event in Jeddah.

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