| An attacker armed with a machine gun has fired at an expatriate housing compound in eastern Riyadh, a Saudi security official said. The shots were fired from a moving car towards the Seder Village compound on Friday night. Although there were no injuries from the attack it appeared to be the latest hit-and-run strike against foreign targets in the kingdom. The Saudi Gazette newspaper quoted Seder Village manager Richard May as saying an explosive device "like a big firecracker" was also thrown at the complex, which like other expatriate compounds is defended by members of the Saudi National Guard. Interior Ministry security affairs spokesman Brigadier General Mansur Turki said police were searching Riyadh for the car used in the shooting. Up to four people might have been involved, he said. Saudi officials, who accuse the insurgents of belonging to al-Qaida, say they have succeeded in destroying four cells and infiltrating a fifth. Diplomats say the recent attacks show that armed groups, although weakened, can still strike. |