Riyadh - No group immediately claimed Friday's attack.
Published: Fri 29 Jan 2016, 1:40 PM
Updated: Sat 30 Jan 2016, 10:51 AM
Update:
Four people were killed and 18 wounded on Friday when a suicide bomber attacked a mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia, state media said.
The Al-Ekhbariya news channel quoted an interior ministry spokesman as giving the new toll, up from two dead and seven wounded earlier.
A suicide bomber attacked a mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia during Friday prayers, killing two people and wounding seven, the interior ministry said.
It was the latest assault on members of the kingdom's Shia minority community, after earlier shootings and bombings claimed by Daesh.
"As a result of the suicide bomber, two people were martyred and seven wounded," the ministry said in a statement.
Residents said the mosque belonged to the Shia community.
Two bombers tried to get inside the Al-Rida mosque in the Mahasen neighbourhood of Al-Ahsa city during the main weekly prayers but security personnel prevented them, the ministry said.
"When security approached to intercept them, one of them responded by blowing himself up at the mosque entrance while an exchange of fire took place with another," it said.
"He was injured and arrested. A suicide belt was found in his possession."
Since deadly attacks claimed by Daesh last year against Shia mosques in the kingdom's east, security has been increased and community guards inspect visitors to houses of worship.
"They bombed the entrance of the mosque during the second prayer," a resident told AFP, asking for anonymity.
"Then somebody got in. He started shooting the gun."
Also read: Daesh claims Saudi mosque attack targeting police, 15 dead
The attack happened in an area largely populated by employees of the state-owned Saudi Aramco oil company, the resident said.
Most of Saudi Arabia's Shia live in the kingdom's Eastern Province which includes Al-Ahsa, an oasis region where much of the kingdom's oil reserves are located.
A video on social media purportedly showed the aftermath of the attack, where several people lay still on a carpet, surrounded by broken glass.
One man applied a tourniquet to the thigh of a victim whose white robe was soaked with blood, the video showed.
"People were so angry," and apprehended one of the alleged suspects themselves, the resident said.
"Police started shooting in the air so they could take him away."
Extremist group, Daesh, has claimed several deadly attacks against Shias, since late 2014.
Friday's bombing was the first against since October when a gunman fired on faithful commemorating Ashura in the Qatif area, killing five before police shot him dead.
In June, four Shias died preventing a suicide bomber from entering the hall of Al-Anoud mosque in Dammam city.
Days earlier, 21 people were killed in another mosque bombing in Eastern Province.
Groups claiming affiliation with Daesh said they carried out those blasts and the Ashura shooting.
Also read: 20 killed in Saudi mosque blast, Daesh claims attack
During Ashura in 2014, gunmen killed seven worshippers, including children, in the eastern town of Al-Dalwa. The interior ministry said the suspects had links to Daesh.
The group has also claimed deadly attacks on Saudi security forces.
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