ISIS Claims Credit for Car Bomb in Saudi Capital

Saudi Officials Insist No Casualties in Blast

ISIS has issued a statement claiming credit for an explosion in the Saudi capital city of Riyadh, saying it was a car bomb involving a bomb attached to the exterior of a vehicle by one of its members. They said the car belonged to a Saudi soldier.

Early signs are that the blast wasn’t exactly a rousing success, with Saudi officials saying the car the bomb was affixed to was “damaged” by the blast and a few other cars parked on the street sustained minor damage, but no casualties were reported.

The car was parked in front of the home of an unnamed citizen, according to the Saudi government, which neither confirmed nor denied the ISIS claim it was a soldier’s car. It was in a residential neighborhood when it exploded, however.

Any blast in the Saudi capital is significant, however, and ISIS has made much of its intention to become more active against the Saudi government. This blast, while insignificant in and of itself, could be the first in a new ISIS campaign.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.