Continued clashes in al-Qasim, two wanted men killed
Saudi Arabia, Local, 4/5/2005

News reports said that the Saudi forces killed two senior officials of the leaders of al-Qaida organization in clashes which are still ongoing for the third running day with gunmen in al-Rass area to the north west of the capital Riyadh.

Saudi mass media said that the security forces killed what it considered the commander of al-Qaida cells of the Kingdom, Saud al-Oteibi, in addition to the Moroccan Abul Karim al-Tuhami al-Mjati who is accused of being the mastermind for the Casablanca attacks in 2003 and of taking part in planning for the blowing up trains in Madrid in 2004.

Saudi security sources stressed that the two men were listed on the list of 26 Islamists being searched for in the country since December 2003. 22 of those on the list have been killed or surrendered except four of them who are still hiding.

The Saudi security sources announced the killing of seven gunmen and wounding of an eight whose identity was not disclosed, while 40 security men were slightly injured and had left the hospital.

Clashes erupted last Sunday after gunmen, fortified in a residential area, attacked a school for girls.

These clashes came just two weeks after a call made by the leader of al-Qaida organization in Saudi Arabia, Saleh al-Ofi, to intensify operations in the Gulf region and target western citizens.

Meantime, the Saudi King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz renewed on Monday his vow in the weekly meeting of the Cabinet to exterminate the so-called "misled group."

Previous Stories:
  Saudi police man, three wanted killed in north Saudi Arabia   (4/4/2005)
  Saudi Arabia: one wanted is killed, three arrested   (3/14/2005)
  Some 17 Saudis and Afghani arrested in Riyadh   (3/12/2005)

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