Riyadh announces one Qaida member killed, One Irish claimed to be killed by al-Qaida

The Saudi Arabian authorities identified the gunman who was killed by the security forces in Mecca to the south west of the Kingdom on Wednesday as an expert in booby trapping cars and a person who took part in the attack at a residential complex in al-Riyadh in 2003.

A statement by the Saudi ministry of the interior said that Abdul Rahman Bin Obeid Allah al-Harbi, who was killed three days ago and his identity was not disclosed yet, is one of the wanted by the security forces " because of his embracing the thinking of holding others as unbelievers and his direct participation in the criminal activities of the misled group." The statement said that al-Harbi together with one detainee Nimer Bin Sahhaj al-Baqmi opened fire at the guards of al-Mahya complex before it was broken in by a booby trapped car." The attack at al- Mahya residential complex on November 8, 2003 resulted in killing 17 persons.

In another development considered a new step in the confrontation between al-Qaida organization and the Saudi security, al-Qaida organization yesterday claimed responsibility for the killing of the Irish engineer whose body was found by the beginning of the month in Riyadh.

A statement by al-Qaida organization in the Arab Peninsula, the local network for al-Qaida organization, in Saudi Arabia said that " one of al-Mujahidin groups killed the Irish engineer at his work's headquarters in Riyadh." The statement which carried number 22 and issued at the Sawt al-Jihad site on the Internet said that this " quality operation came after allegations and predictions by the government ( in Saudi Arabia) that it could limit the activities of the Mujahidin on the Arab Peninsula." The Saudi security forces found the body of Engineer Antony Christopher in his office at the headquarters of a trade company in Riyadh on August 3. The Saudi police said it opened an investigation to know the implications of this case.

Since the beginning of May a series of killing operations took place that targeted resident westerners in Saudi Arabia including the beheading of one American that was kidnapped in Riyadh on June 18.

Al-Qaida organization in the Arab Peninsula vowed to continue its challenge to the Saudi authorities after the killing of its leader in the Kingdom Abdul Aziz al-Muqarran in June at the hands of the Saudi security men in an operation they launched in revenge for the killing of the American hostage.

However, al-Qaida organization got a second strong blow on August 5th, reflected in the detention of Fares Ahmad Bin Shaeel al-Zahrani, one of its main members whose name is in the 26- wanted persons list issued by the Saudi authorities in December 2003.