Suicide Bomber Hid Explosives in his Buttwww.telegraph.co.ukPublished: 7:18AMPublished: 7:18AM BST 21 Sep 2009 BST 21 Sep 2009
Al-Asiri, 23, managed to blow himself up in the attack in Jeddah, but his target, Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef, escaped with minor injuries.
Security experts said they have not come across a bomber who has concealed explosives in this way
"We've never heard of anything quite like this before," a source told The Sun.
Prince Nayef is the head of the security service in Saudi Arabia.
Al-Asiri, who was on a local "Most Wanted" list, arranged a meeting with him after insisting he had turned his back on terrorism.
By hiding the explosives in his bottom he managed to pass security checks before entering the prince's office.
It is believed they were detonated electronically.
Mike Yardley, a weapons expert and former soldier, said: "Hiding it in a body cavity was obviously an attempt to defeat scanners and detectors.
"Thankfully on this occasion the victim escaped because the bomber's body appears to have suppressed the force of the blast."
Prince Nayef, who had led an anti-terror crackdown in Saudi Arabia, injured his hand.
He said: "He surprised me by blowing himself up."
The location of the hidden bomb was reported by Al-Arabiya TV news network, based in Dubai, and fanatics confirmed the method during online discussions.
al-Qaeda later named the bomber and released his photograph together with a statement claiming responsibility for the attack.
