Incident Summary:

08/16/2016: Assailants fired projectiles targeting Najran, Saudi Arabia. At least seven civilians were killed in the attack. No group claimed responsibility for the incident; however, sources attributed the attack to Huthi extremists and suggested that the attack was carried out in retaliation for recent Saudi airstrikes in Yemen.

GTD ID:
201608160032

When:
2016-08-16

Country:
Saudi Arabia

Region:
Middle East & North Africa

Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:

Najran

City:
Najran

Attack Information
Type of Attack (more) Bombing/Explosion
Successful Attack? (more) Yes
Target Information (more)
Target Type: Private Citizens & Property
Name of Entity Najran City
Specific Description City
Nationality of Target Saudi Arabia
Additional Information
Hostages No
Ransom No
Property Damage Yes
Extent of Property Damage Minor (likely < $1 million)
Value of Property Damage Unknown
Weapon Information
Type Sub-type
Explosives Projectile (rockets, mortars, RPGs, etc.)
Weapon Details
An Iranian-made Zelzal missile was used in the attack.
Additional Information
Suicide Attack?No
Part of Multiple Incident?No
Criterion 1 (more) Yes
Criterion 2 (more) Yes
Criterion 3 (more) Yes
Doubt Terrorism Proper (more) No
Additional Information Casualty numbers for this incident conflict across sources. Following GTD protocol, the majority reliable estimates are reported here.
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name Claimed Responsibility
Houthi extremists (Ansar Allah) No
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators Unknown
Number of Captured Perpetrators 0
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties 7 Fatalities / 0 Injured
Total Number of Fatalities 7
Number of U.S. Fatalities 0
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities 0
Total Number of Injured 0
Number of U.S. Injured 0
Number of Perpetrators Injured 0
Sources
"Missile Fired From Yemen Kills Saudis," The New York Times, August 18, 2016.
"Civilians paying heaviest price in Yemeni conflict: UN chief," Xinhua General News Service, August 17, 2016.
"Seven civilians killed in southern Saudi Arabia," Trend News (English), August 16, 2016.