Gunmen killed five people in the restive eastern province of Saudi Arabia , prompting fears of a rise in sectarian violence as the Gulf kingdom grapples with the threat of domestic Sunni Islamist extremism. The state news agency reported that another nine people had been wounded in the attack late on Monday in al-Dalwah, a town in the al-Ahsa governorate, a major population centre for the Shia minority of the Sunni-ruled monarchy. Videos circulating on social media appeared to show the aftermath of the attack, which apparently took place as worshippers left a Shia religious building. Shia are this week celebrating Ashura, commemorating the death of the Prophet Mohammed’s grandson in a battle that led to the 1,300-year-old schism between Shia and Sunni Islam. The 10-day religious festival often attracts inter-communal violence. The attack comes as Saudi Arabia, a member of the US-led coalition against the Islamic State in […]