Posted on 06/02/2004 2:21:53 AM PDT by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
RIYADH (Reuters) - Suspected Muslim militants shot at U.S. citizens in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh on Wednesday just days after a major al Qaeda attack in the country killed 22 people, mainly foreigners, Western diplomats said.
"There has been shooting in Riyadh against Americans this morning," said a diplomat. "We have no word on casualties and no details at this moment."
In a separate incident, Saudi forces killed two gunmen after clashes in the Western city of Ta'if, security sources said.
Dubai-based Al Arabiya television said the two men were wanted "terrorists" but that they were not linked to the weekend shooting and hostage-taking rampage in the eastern city of Khobar, the second major attack on the oil industry in a month.
Twenty-two people were killed in the attack, 19 of them Westerners and other foreigners. Saudi Arabia has been battling al Qaeda militants for over a year.
The shootout in Tai'f, close to the holy Muslim city of Mecca, began on Tuesday when gunmen fired on a police checkpoint in the mountainous region.
Saudi forces had launched a huge manhunt for three militants who escaped after the Khobar attack, setting up checkpoints and roadblocks across the kingdom.
Ping
The politically correct thing to do with Saudi Arabia is to give it to Filipinos.
On the other hand, why are there any Americans left in Saudi Arabia at all? Seems to me they need us more than we need them.
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