Suicide bomber (Illustration)
Suicide bomber (Illustration)Flash90

In an attack apparently timed to coincide with American Independence Day, AFP report that a suicide bomber blew himself up near the US consulate in the city of Jeddah Monday morning.

According to the Saudi Interior Ministry, two security guards became suspicious of the man standing in a hospital parking lot across the road from the embassy. When they moved in to investigate "he blew himself up with a suicide belt inside the hospital parking" at around 2:15 am. The two officers were slightly injured.

In Washington, an anonymous State Department spokesman said: "We are aware of reports of an explosion in Jeddah and working with Saudi authorities to collect more information.

"We can confirm that all personnel under chief-of-mission authority are accounted for at this time."

It is possibly not coincidental that this occurred on one of the last days of the month of Ramadan, and the attack may have been specifically planned for US Independence Day.