JEDDAH: The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance has denied reports that women would not be allowed to attend taraweeh, night prayers, this Ramadan at mosques in the Eastern Province.

This comes in the wake of a suicide bomber dressed in a woman’s black abaya blowing himself up at the Al-Anoud Mosque in Dammam last week.

“There is no truth to the rumors that women would not be allowed to attend taraweeh prayers during the holy month of Ramadan in the Eastern Province or elsewhere,” an official said. These rumors were intended to create divisions in the country, he was quoted by a local publication as saying.

The official, who requested anonymity, said the ministry did not send a circular to imams about the issue. “However, some security precautions will be taken at mosques during the blessed month and for Friday congregational prayers in the wake of the tragic events at some mosques in the Eastern Province,” he said.

He said there were 150 mosques that hold Friday prayers in Dammam, Dhahran, Alkhobar, Qatif and other governorates. The Interior Ministry was coordinating the security measures, he said.

He did not disclose the precautionary mechanisms being implemented but urged worshippers not to be intimidated by the rumors being spread by “deviants.”

A source at the Interior Ministry said in a statement that there would be many police officers deployed at mosques, especially after the dawn prayers on Fridays.

He said the measures are being implemented with the Islamic Affairs Ministry, which would include undercover police officers in all Eastern Province cities.

Arab News reported on Friday that security has been tightened around more than 94,300 mosques across the country, following the two terrorist attacks on mosques in Qatif and Dammam.

Report denied

Meanwhile, spokesman for the Interior Ministry Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki has denied that a person detained at a checkpoint recently was wanted in connection with the terrorist attacks in Qatif and Dammam mosques. Al-Turki stressed in a statement that the arrested man’s name was not on the list of 16 wanted terrorists who were involved in the attacks on Al-Qadeeh and Al-Anoud mosques.

The spokesman also denied reports that security forces have foiled an attempt to smuggle two bags of explosives into Al-Jawhara Stadium hours before the final of the King's Cup soccer match between Al-Hilal and Al-Nasr teams were to be played there.

Al-Turki said the car that was stopped at a checkpoint was occupied by two Pakistani workers, and the bags in the vehicle contained bottles of perfumes. One of the men was arrested because he was in violation of residency and labor laws.