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Saudi Farm Raid Sets Off Hostage Standoff
Saudi security forces raided a farm Tuesday, setting off a running battle with gunmen who fled into a hospital and took foreigners hostage, security officials said. Another farm, huh? The battle began when security forces raided a farm near Jizan, about 600 miles south of the Saudi capital, Riyadh, searching for a number of suspects, the security officials said. Some of the suspects escaped and took refuge in the hospital building, taking a number of hostages, they said. The officials did not say why the suspects had been initially sought. But we can guess. The Arab satellite television station Al-Jazeera quoted a witness as saying the gunmen were holed up in a hospital housing unit with the hostages. The witness, identified only as Abdallah Abu Ezz Edin, said most of the hostages were foreigners and were freed as security forces stormed in and four gunmen surrendered. Abu Ezz Edin, speaking by telephone, also said at least two security officers were killed in the battle. Being that this is Saudi with Al-Jazeera reporting, anything could have happened. Posted by: Steve 2003-09-23 |
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