In Saudi Arabia, Sunni Militancy Claims Another Victim

The Islamic State's April 5 assassination of a Saudi army officer underscores a disquieting trend that has emerged over the past two years: The number of attacks perpetrated by Sunni militants is rising. Saudi Arabia has long fought to maintain its internal security, which is why the growing operational tempo of attacks in the Sunni core -- predominantly in and around Riyadh, an area commonly known as the Najd -- is of such concern. And although Sunni militant violence is not necessarily new to Saudi Arabia, the evolution of the Islamic State and its self-declared caliphate serves to both reinvigorate and modify the patterns of violence associated with Sunni groups. As the Islamic State core loses territory elsewhere, more militants are returning home from the battlefront, bringing greater numbers and practical combat experience with them....