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| Arabia |
| More Saoodi Turbans Downed |
| 2003-08-13 |
| Four Saudi Police Officers and Suspected Militant Die in Raid Adds a bit of detail to yesterday's article. Reuters replay of the excerpt in Steve's comment... Saudi security sources said four police officers and a Muslim militant had been killed in the second major clash here in three days after Saudi security forces raided a militant stronghold. An Interior Ministry statement, apparently referring to the initial stages of the fighting in a fundamentalist area in southern Riyadh, said three policemen had been killed and a suspect wounded. It said the fighting had started when the police tried to check a truck parked in a street in the area. Two other policemen were wounded and an unidentified number of suspects were arrested, the statement said. "Some suspects are still holed up in one house," a security official said today, as the shooting eased off, more than five hours after the assault started. Sounds like they would like to take some alive - "squeeze" them for more info? The ministry statement made no mention of the continuing siege. In addition to those killed, more than 15 were wounded, the official said. It was the fourth clash reported between the police and militants in Saudi Arabia in less than a month. Saudi security officials said Monday that the police had arrested about 10 suspected Islamic militants after engaging in a shootout in Riyadh on Sunday. A resident reached by phone today in the neighborhood where the shootout occurred said that at least five houses had been involved in the raid, in which security forces were backed by helicopters. "The operation is very big," the resident said. "The whole area is surrounded by security police. It is a big area." Residents said they saw police officers arrest suspected militants. "I saw one man break free from police and run away after kicking off his shoes," a resident said. "Police were chasing him." You don’t have to kick off sandals, they fall off when you try to run. You do have to pick up your skirt though! Ambulances sped from several houses in the district. The police set up barricades, closing the area to passers-by and reporters. |
| Posted by:PayDay |
| #3 More from Reuters: Saudi Arabia's interior minister said on Wednesday five of the Muslim militants who battled police in Riyadh on Tuesday have been arrested but seven others were still on the run. Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz was speaking to Al Arabiya television, one of the few foreign news networks with offices in the secretive kingdom, a day after a police raid on a militant stronghold in which four policemen and an Islamist were killed. Nayef said the militants were not linked to the May 12 bombings in Riyadh, which Washington and the kingdom blame on the al Qaeda network, but were among another group of militants who shot at police this week at a Riyadh highway rest stop. Saudi security sources said on Monday police had arrested about 10 suspected militants after the rest stop shootout on Sunday. The British Foreign Office said it believed these Islamists had actually escaped and may have been targeting British interests. A senior Saudi official in Washington, however, said those arrested made up "another major cell that were targeting a British target." |
| Posted by: Steve 2003-8-13 3:21:51 PM |
| #2 From Arabic News: A Saudi official said that the Saudi security forces arrested following these clashes, seven extremist Islamists of Saudi nationality. One of them was strongly wounded and is suspected to have links to al-Qaida organization. The statement added that the gunmen who are suspected to be Islamists activists opened fire at the special security forces using mortars and machine guns. Mortars??? That's an upgrade, when do they start the artillary duels and tank battles, I need to make popcorn. |
| Posted by: Steve 2003-8-13 11:01:48 AM |
| #1 More here at the Guardian |
| Posted by: PayDay 2003-8-13 1:44:16 AM |