2014 al-Dalwah attack
| 2014 al-Dalwah attack | |
|---|---|
 Location of Eastern Province in Saudi Arabia | |
| Location | al-Dalwah, al-Ahsa, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia |
| Date | 3 November 2014 |
| Target | Shia Muslims |
Attack type | Mass shooting |
| Weapons | Guns |
| Deaths | 8 (+2 attackers) |
| Injured | 9 |
| Perpetrators | ISIL |
The 2014 al-Dalwah attack occurred on 3 November 2014 at al-Dalwah village in the eastern province of al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia when three masked gunmen shot at a group of people, killing eight people and injuring nine others.[1][2][3] The attack occurred on Ashura and is thought to be targeting Shi’ite Muslims. Six people were arrested and one suspect killed.
On 4 November, two police officers and two gunmen were killed in an operation after five people were shot dead and another wounded.[4] According to Saudi security, the leader of the gunmen had previously slipped back into the kingdom after fighting in Iraq and Syria.[1]
While the government and the official media and religious establishment strongly condemned the attack, a handful of articles in the Saudi press argued that the attack "had not come out of nowhere", that there was anti-Shi'ite incitement in the kingdom on the part of "the religious establishment, preachers, and even university lecturers – and that it was on the rise".[5]
Attackers
On 24 November, three weeks after the attack, the Saudi Interior Ministry revealed the identity of the attackers on the Al-Dalwah Shiite shrine in Al-Ahsa: Abdullah Al-Sarhan, Khalid Anzi, Marwan Nail, and Tariq Maimoni. Saudi security authorities arrested 77 people linked to ISIS.[6]
Aftermath
On 2 September 2020, seven militants linked to the shooting were sentenced to death by the Special Criminal Court in Riyadh, while three others were handed 25-year jail terms each.[7] Of the 12 defendants, 10 appeared in court for judgment. The court sentenced the first, second, third and fourth-degree defendant to the death penalty by crucifixion, while the others were typically judged to 25 years in prison.[8]
References
- ^ a b Coogle, Adam (6 November 2014). "Dispatches: Killings of Saudi Shia a Wakeup Call". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
- ^ "Five killed in Saudi Arabia shooting". aljazeera.com. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ^ "Saudi forces kill suspect in attack on Shi'ites marking Ashoura". Reuters. 4 November 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ^ Al Jazeera and agencies. "Deadly security raid in Saudi after shooting". aljazeera.com. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ^ "Saudi Columnists: There Is Anti-Shi'ite Incitement In Our Country". December 10, 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
- ^ "73 Saudis, 4 expats were arrested for suspecting in Al-Dalwah village crime". December 14, 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia sentences seven Islamist militants to death over killings of Shi'ites". Reuters. September 2, 2020 – via www.reuters.com.
- ^ "7 Terrorists Sentenced to Death for 2014 Dalwah Attack in Saudi Arabia". Asharq AL-awsat. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
