A huge suicide car bomb ripped the facade off the headquarters of the Saudi domestic security forces in the capital, Riyadh, on Wednesday.
Islamist militants, allied to al-Qaeda and intent on overthrowing the regime, were immediately blamed.
The afternoon attack, apparently timed to catch staff leaving their offices, killed at least four people. Police were sorting through the debris to recover bodies and survivors; with 148 injured, according to state television.
In the past week Saudi officers have intercepted at least five vehicles packed with explosives and clashed several times with militants. In one incident, four officers were killed in a shootout at a checkpoint. The United States responded by ordering non-essential diplomats to leave Saudi Arabia as fears grew that further attacks were likely to target American and western interests in the kingdom.
Wednesday’s explosion coincided with a visit by the US deputy secretary of state, Richard Armitage, who held talks with Crown Prince Abdullah. The two men discussed Iraq and ties between the world’s largest economy and the world’s largest oil exporter. Relations have been strained since the September 11 attacks — carried out by mainly Saudi hijackers for al-Qaeda.
The previous day the crown prince inaugurated a state-sponsored conference on terrorism in Riyadh which convened researchers from around the world to consider Islam’s position on terrorism.
Wednesday’s attack marks a shift in tactics. Last year two Islamist suicide bombings — which killed 51 people, including nine Americans — targeted foreign residential compounds in Riyadh.
Kate Luxford, a Middle East analyst at the World Markets Research Centre said that it is now the government which is bearing the brunt of attacks.
One eyewitness reportedly saw a car drive up to the barrier outside the General Security building in al-Nassiriyah, central Riyadh, and watched it detonate as two guards walked towards it.
The force of the blast set rooms ablaze and damaged cars and nearby office blocks. Three children were among those hurt. Witnesses described seeing a number of charred bodies being taken away from the scene.
General Security officers investigate burglaries and murders, direct traffic and perform basic police duties. But such officers have been on the front line in a Saudi crackdown on Islamic militants.
Last month a message claiming to come from al-Qaeda appeared on the internet threatening Saudi police, members of the intelligence forces and other security agents.
It said that targeting Saudi security agents ”in their homes or workplace is a very easy matter”.
Saudi television showed the seven-storey General Security building, with its glass facade shattered and severe damage inside. Firemen tried to extinguish the flames inside.
More than 20 ambulances had arrived at the scene. The blast was heard more than five kilometres miles away.
On the Saudi television station Al-Ekhbaria, one of the leading Saudi clerics, Sheik Abdullah al-Mutlaq, branded the bombing ”a dastardly criminal” act.
”How can they make these dastardly acts bring them closer to God?” he asked. – Guardian Unlimited Â