An Islamist militant suicide bomber disguised as a woman blew himself up outside a Shi’ite mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia yesterday, killing himself and three other people, the second attack of its kind in the world’s top oil exporter in one week.

The bombing, which was claimed by Islamic State, could further escalate sectarian strife in the kingdom, where anti-Shi’ite sentiment has been stoked by a military campaign against Iranian-allied Houthi militias in neighbouring Yemen since March.

The Interior Ministry said a suicide bomber disguised in women’s clothes blew himself up outside the al-Anoud mosque’s entrance in the city of Dammam during noon prayers. Witnesses said a suicide bomber, who wore an Abaya used by women in Saudi Arabia, blew himself up in the mosque’s parking lot when guards searching worshippers became suspicious of him.

The ministry said four people, including the bomber, were killed in the blast, which also set several cars ablaze.

Residents circulated pictures of the body of a man believed to be the suicide bomber as well as pictures of black clouds of smoke billowing over a parking lot outside the mosque.

An Islamic State statement named the suicide bomber as Abu Jandal al-Jizrawi and said he had managed to reach his target despite heightened security.

Blast occurred outside a Shi’ite mosque

Meanwhile, the BBC reported yesterday that Islamic State militants in Libya had announced they had seized the airport in Sirte.

The announcement was also made by a Libyan militia that withdrew from the coastal city’s airport on Thursday.

Most of Sirte, former leader Muammar Gaddafi’s hometown, fell to IS last week.

BBC reported that the group said it had also seized the Great Man Made River water project. The irrigation project, the world’s largest, supplies fresh water to Libyan cities and was the base for the opposition Battalion 166, which has now fled. The battalion, and other Islamist milites run Tripoli although their government is not recognised by the international community.