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At least two people were injured Wednesday when an explosive device struck a ceremony marking the end of World War I in a cemetery in the Saudi city of Jeddah.
France’s Foreign Ministry said several countries had representatives at the commemoration that was attended by European diplomats.
“The annual ceremony commemorating the end of the First World War 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, “said the ministry.
“France strongly condemns this cowardly and unjustifiable attack.”
Hours after the incident, local authorities in the Saudi governorate of Mecca said a Greek citizen and a Saudi security officer were injured in the “cowardly” attack.
The statement issued by the state news agency SPA said that an investigation was underway and that security services were following the attack. He confirmed the presence of several consuls.
The head of the blast was previously confirmed by a Greek official who declined to be named. The official said there were “four minor injuries, including a Greek,” without providing further details.
Before the statement, Saudi state television broadcast from outside the cemetery and acknowledged that an explosive device attack had occurred, but stressed that the security situation was now “stable.”
Hours after the incident, Saudi state television broadcast from outside the cemetery and acknowledged that an attack with an explosive device had occurred. [File: AFP]Speaking from Paris, Al Jazeera’s Natacha Butler said that the embassies of France, Greece, Italy, the United States and the United Kingdom, all of which had representatives at the ceremony, issued statements condemning the attack and calling on the Saudi authorities to investigate with all its breadth. transparency.
France has urged its citizens in the kingdom to be “on high alert” amid heightened tensions after an assailant beheaded a French high school teacher who displayed cartoons of the prophet Muhammad in class.
“In particular, exercise discretion and stay away from all meetings and be careful when moving around,” said a statement from the Foreign Ministry, which was distributed to French residents in Jeddah.
The French Embassy in the United Arab Emirates also asked French residents to remain vigilant after the attack.
Extremely offensive
Wednesday’s blast came as French President Emmanuel Macron, the target of ire across much of the Muslim world for vowing to uphold Islam’s disparaging comments and images after a series of attacks, attended a World War I commemoration ceremony. World Cup in Paris.
Several countries are celebrating the 102nd anniversary of the armistice signed by Germany and the allied countries to end the 1914-1918 war.
Macron has vigorously defended the right to publish cartoons that Muslims find extremely offensive, including cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad printed by the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
French history teacher Samuel Paty showed the same cartoons to students in a class on freedom of expression, leading to his beheading on the outskirts of Paris on October 16 following an online campaign by parents angry at his choice of the lesson material.
Macron’s stance angered many Muslims, prompting angry protests in several countries and a campaign to boycott French products.
Last month, a Saudi national stabbed a guard at the French consulate in Jeddah, the same day a man armed with a knife killed three people at a church in Nice, southern France.
Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest sites, has criticized the cartoons, but has “strongly” condemned last month’s attack in Nice.
Al Jazeera’s Butler said it was important not to speculate about the motive for the attack.
However, he explained that after recent events, “tensions have increased” in parts of the world and “there is anti-French sentiment.”
“Whether or not that is the motivation behind the attack in Jeddah today, we cannot say,” Butler said, emphasizing that the ceremony was a joint event in which representatives from various countries participated.
On Tuesday, Macron organized a summit of European leaders to chart a joint approach to combat what he calls “Islamist radicalism” after four people were killed in a shooting in the heart of Vienna last week.
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