Explosion at cemetery mars Armistice event in Saudi Arabia

An explosion during an Armistice Day ceremony at a cemetery in Saudi Arabia has left four people injured, including a Briton, officials have said.

The explosive device was set off during the service in Jeddah on Wednesday morning, which was organised by the French Embassy, sources told Reuters.

A number of diplomats from EU countries were present at the event marking the end of the First World War.

Hours after the attack, Saudi state-media quoted a local official who said a Greek consulate employee and a Saudi security man were lightly wounded in the incident. The British government said one UK national also suffered minor injuries.

The French foreign ministry described the attack as "cowardly" and "completely unjustified".

"We call on the Saudi authorities to shed as much light as they can on this attack, and to identify and hunt down the perpetrators," they said in a statement.

Greece's Foreign Ministry condemned the attack and said a Greek policeman, who had been accompanying a consulate employee to the ceremony, was hospitalized but his life was not in danger.

The French consulate in Saudi Arabia issued an urgent warning to citizens living there, asking them to exercise "maximum vigilance" and "stay away from gatherings".

Saudi state TV claimed the situation was "stable" but has not commented further.

It is the second security incident in the city in recent weeks.

On 29 October, a man was arrested after attacking and injuring a security guard outside the French consulate. His motives remain unclear.

Reference: Sky News: 12 Hours ago