| Submit your comments on this article | ||
| Arabia | ||
| Fire at U.S. Consulate in Jeddah | ||
| 2004-12-06 | ||
Gunfire broke out around the U.S. consulate in the Saudi city of Jeddah on Monday and a fire erupted in the building, witnesses said. "I heard a heavy exchange of fire," one bystander told Reuters. Flames could be seen and two black plumes of smoke were rising from the building. Around 200 police and national guards sealed off the area around the U.S. mission in the Red Sea city. Alarms could be heard sounding from the building. Shooting broke out for a second time shortly afterwards. It was not immediately known if it was an attack by Muslim militants seeking to drive Westerners out of the kingdom. "We have an emergency case," an official inside the building told Reuters. He gave no details.
A car bomb exploded outside the U.S. consulate in Saudi Arabia port, Jeddah on Monday, injuring several people. According to witnesses, clouds of heavy smoke were seen rising from the area in the latest attacks targeting buildings that houses Westerners in the kingdom. Four of the attackers were holed up inside the building where a gunbattle raged and continued for nearly an hour after the initial explosion, Saudi security forces said. Witnesses said that they heard bursts of gunfire and saw two plumes of smoke rising from the building, as helicopters hovered overhead. They added that the Saudi forces sealed off the area. At least 200 Saudi police and National Guard soldiers are reported to have been deployed in the area. Officials said it was possible hostages were inside the U.S. embassy. According to a Saudi health official, many people injured in the blast were escorted to a hospital in Jeddah, but none were Americans. Saudi officials did not comment on the blast, also no militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
One witness at the scene told reporters that smoke was rising from the area while police trying to keep cars and traffic away. Other witnesses said that gunfire was heard shortly before the blast. "I heard a heavy exchange of fire," one bystander told reporters. Several further rounds of shooting could be heard. "We have an emergency case," an official inside the building told reporters. Alarms could be heard sounding from inside the consulate. "The embassy in Riyadh and the missions in Jeddah and Dhahran have been closed as a precaution. We are still trying to gather information," Kalin said. "The magnitude of this assault on the consulate has taken all Jeddah residents by surprise," Khaled al-Maeena, the editor of Arab News located in Jeddah, said. Saudi authorities have stepped up security around the consulate since a series of bombings in 2003, mainly targeting buildings that house foreigners. | ||
| Posted by:Destro |
| #16 UPDATE: JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - Twelve people died when Muslim militants stormed the U.S. consulate in the Saudi city of Jeddah Monday, officials said. Saudi security officials said four of their men were killed by the assailants. Security forces killed three attackers and wounded two, who were then captured. A U.S. embassy spokeswoman said five non-American consulate staff, including a contract guard, had also been killed. Earlier there was confusion about whether the five non-U.S. dead listed by the embassy had included the four dead guards. |
| Posted by: Steve 2004-12-06 12:59:40 PM |
| #15 P.S. Witnesses said the militants had hauled down the U.S. flag and burned it after bursting into the mission. Sigh. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2004-12-06 11:28:03 AM |
| #14 I really like Charles Johnson's take on the incident: Islamic activists tried to air their grievances by murdering Americans in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia today, but were thwarted when their oppressors hid in a fortified room. The activists were then disenfranchised by Saudi security forces. LOL. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2004-12-06 11:26:06 AM |
| #13 Other witnesses said that gunfire was heard shortly before the blast. "I heard a heavy exchange of fire," one bystander told reporters. Sounds like the Marines opened up on the charging car bombers, setting them off outside the gates. Good work, boys. |
| Posted by: mojo 2004-12-06 11:12:10 AM |
| #12 Goher-Who is Al-Hawali Try Google, you even have a link to Rantburg!! |
| Posted by: SwissTex 2004-12-06 10:47:41 AM |
| #11 stray bunch = Jooooos |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-12-06 9:48:46 AM |
| #10 From AP story: The statement by a Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman, carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, said a "stray bunch" — a reference to Islamic militants — threw explosives at the gate of the consulate, then entered. No wonder so many get away after being surrounded - they're strays! |
| Posted by: Spot 2004-12-06 9:18:58 AM |
| #9 Seems to be some confusion about wether there was a car bomb, or just grenade tossing: Islamic militants threw explosives at the gate of the heavily guarded U.S. consulate in Jiddah, then forced their way into the building, prompting a gunbattle in a bold assault that left seven people dead and several injured before the three-hour long crisis was brought under control. Several Americans were slightly injured, according to a State Department official in Washington. Three attackers were among those killed, while two others were injured and arrested, the Saudi Interior Ministry announced. Saudi security officials also said four of their forces were killed. The ministry statement didn't mention hostages, though Saudi security officials said some had been taken. In Riyadh, U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Carol Kalin said two local staff members were injured, but all American staff were safe. "We have accounted for all Americans on the compound in Jiddah and none of them are being held hostage," Kalin said. "We have a local work force that was on duty and we are still in the process of accounting for (them)." Kalin said it was unclear if any of the U.S. Marine guards inside the consulate were involved in the gunbattle. As a precaution, she said, the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh and consulate in Dhahran were closed to the public. |
| Posted by: Steve 2004-12-06 9:16:46 AM |
| #8 MSNBC - no American hostages, attackers: 3 killed, 2 captured. Wonder what Naif will have to say about it? Asshat |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-12-06 7:03:17 AM |
| #7 I'm hearing car bomb right now. Dan, I am stretching my ears as much as I can, but hear no damn thing. Are you in the Satanic Araby proper at this moment? That would be the only logical explanation I can muster, bare some kind of extrasensory, long-distance perception. |
| Posted by: Sobiesky 2004-12-06 6:58:23 AM |
| #6 Spot, surrounding is a process, not an action--in the book of Saudi security elements. I am sure that Soddies would execute masterfully that kind of surrounding they are so famous for. |
| Posted by: Sobiesky 2004-12-06 6:54:27 AM |
| #5 I just hope they haven't been surrounded;) |
| Posted by: Spot 2004-12-06 6:44:32 AM |
| #4 I await the cornered 'militant' routine with bated breath. |
| Posted by: Howard UK 2004-12-06 5:48:15 AM |
| #3 damn--there goes my christmas stroll on the corniche |
| Posted by: SON OF TOLUI 2004-12-06 5:16:47 AM |
| #2 Who is al-Hawali? |
| Posted by: Goher 2004-12-06 5:12:13 AM |
| #1 Looks like the attack is still underway as we speak ... Soddy reaction should tell us whether or not the deal between al-Hawali and the princes fell through again or whether this is just another case of it being okay to kill Westerners but not any of the Master Race in the Magic Kingdom. I'm hearing car bomb right now. |
| Posted by: Dan Darling 2004-12-06 4:31:36 AM |