Saudi Arabia has executed five people convicted of carrying out a deadly attack on a Shia Imambargah, marking the largest group execution of the year, according to state media.
The five individuals, including four Saudis and one Egyptian, were tried for a 2015 attack on the Imam Hussain mosque in Dammam, which resulted in five deaths and over ten injuries. The city of Dammam is located in the eastern province of Qatif, known for its oil reserves and Shia population.
One of the convicts was beheaded, while the others were executed by different methods. The Saudi nationals involved were Ahmed bin Muhammad Asiri, Nessar bin Abdullah Al-Mousa, Hamad bin Abdullah Al-Mousa, and Abdullah bin Abdul-Rahman Al-Tuwaijri, while the Egyptian national was Talha Hisham Muhammad Abdo.
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Abdo had links to a terrorist organization and was convicted of firing at security forces and attempting a suicide bombing. Three of the Saudis—Ahmed, Nessar, and Hamad—were also found guilty of connections with the same group. Abdullah was convicted for his involvement and for concealing the operation from security authorities.
The trials and executions were conducted in special courts, with the death penalty applied to all five. The executions took place in the Eastern Province, as reported by the Saudi Gazette.
ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, but Saudi authorities have not confirmed any links between the executed individuals and the group.
The latest executions bring the total number of death penalties in Saudi Arabia to 68 for the year. This is part of a broader trend, with over 20 people executed for terrorism-related offenses since early May. Last year, Saudi Arabia executed 147 people, more than double the number in 2021, and over 1,000 death sentences have been carried out since 2015.
The rise in executions comes amid Saudi Arabia’s efforts to improve its international image through social and economic reforms under its “Vision 2030” agenda.
