 Saudi security forces stormed a major Al-Qaeda hide-out in the eastern city of Damman yesterday, killing all terrorists inside.
Four security men were also killed in the operation. In a brief statement, the Interior Ministry said security forces had âended their operations,â which began Sunday in the main city of Eastern Province, losing four men, in addition to 10 wounded. Police are purging the site where âcharred remainsâ were found, the ministry said without giving the number of suspected militants killed. The reference to âcharred remainsâ suggested some of the militants had blown themselves up.
| "You'll never take us alive, copâ [KABOOM!]" |
An official earlier said five militants, in addition to two policemen, were killed in the confrontation, which started with a shootout in another neighborhood Sunday. Those casualties preceded the storming of the hide-out in the Al-Hamra district of Dammam, which is just 10 kilometers away from the oil center of Dhahran.  Witnesses saw ambulances and civil defense vehicles entering the scene of the gunbattle, which was cordoned off. Clashes intensified in the run-up to the raid. At one point, the thud of explosions could be heard across the city at the rate of one per minute, residents said. Saudi special forces stormed the building at 1 p.m. yesterday after intensive gunfire had weakened the militants over the last two days. They also cut electricity and water to the building.
"Mahmoud! I'm thirsty!"
"What happened to our water?"
"I used it to put out the fire!" |
Informed sources told Arab News that a militant who tried to run away from the building was gunned down by security men yesterday morning.
| "Curly-toed slippers, don't... Ow!... Ooch!... fail... Aaaaiii ieeee!...me now... rosebud! |
Militants killed one of their colleagues when he attempted to surrender to security authorities on Monday.
| "Don't shoot, coppers! I surrâ Ow!... Rosebud!" |
Arab News learned that the building, which the terrorists rented for SR40,000 belonged to a security officer working at the Interior Ministry. | Fair took my breath away. How about you? Who'da ever thunkit? |
Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman of the ministry, described the operation a big success. He said the storming of the building was delayed in order to protect the lives of security officers, especially after learning that the terrorists were carrying a large number of weapons and explosives. âWe also wanted to catch the terrorists alive in order to get more information,â he said.
| Just kill 'em all and then round up their friends, family, and acquaintances... |
Medical sources said more than 50 people, including security officers, were wounded in the operation. They are under treatment at Dammam Central Hospital. Majed Al-Shammary, a police officer from Tabuk, died during the storming of the hide-out. Prince Jalawi ibn Abdul Aziz, deputy governor of the Eastern Province, accompanied by Prince Muhammad ibn Nayef, assistant interior minister for security affairs, yesterday visited the wounded officers in hospital. Speaking to reporters, Prince Jalawi described the anti-terror operation as a major security achievement. He also commended the valor of Saudi security forces and their dedication toward the Kingdomâs security.
| I notice no princes seem to have nobly sacrificed themselves in storming the building... |
Police searched the building minutely to ensure it was free of explosives. Officers destroyed a number of bombs in the building with controlled explosions. They also seized a large cache of weapons from the hide-out including guns, machine guns, explosives, gas cylinders and computers. The ministry has said that the two militants slain in Dammam Sunday were sought by the authorities, without saying if they were on a published list of most-wanted militants. |