Explosion rocks Saudi Arabia, four wounded in blast at World War I memorial in Jeddah

Several people were injured in an explosion at a ceremony commemorating the end of World War I in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah on Wednesday, November 11. According to French government officials, several countries had their representatives at the commemoration event.

"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 condemns Saudi attack

Following the reports of the blast, France strongly condemned the attack. As per reports, the explosion was confirmed by an official from Greece who refused to be named. The official is reported to have added that there was some sort of a blast at a cemetery in Jeddah and four people are injured. Among the injured, one is a Greek, the official added without providing further details. 

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Meanwhile, Wednesday's attack in Jeddah followed on the heels of a stabbing on October 29 that wounded a guard at the French Consulate in the city. As per reports, the stabbing was carried out by a Saudi man who was arrested soon but his motives remained unclear. The day marked the 102nd anniversary of the armistice ending World War I and is commemorated in several European countries.

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Previous attacks in France

Earlier last month, France suffered two deadly Islamic extremist attacks. Three people were killed in a church in the southern city of Nice, and a teacher was beheaded outside Paris for showing caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad to his class over a debate on free expression.

France has requested its citizens in Saudi Arabia and other Muslim-majority countries to be on maximum alert amid intensified tensions over the caricatures which have sparked protests and calls for boycotts of French products. Furthermore, the French president has also described his support for the caricatures as a cornerstone of free speech and France's secular ideals, which has angered some Muslims who view the depictions as incitement and a form of hate speech.

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(With inputs from Agencies; Representative image)