Monday, Nov 10, 2003
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By Atul Aneja
Initial reports said that an Indian security guard was also killed in the blast, but there has so far been no official confirmation. The Saudi Interior Ministry said the 11 dead included Saudis, Lebanese, Sudanese and Egyptians. Of those injured, all but 25 had been discharged from hospitals by Sunday afternoon. Among the dead were three Lebanese — a woman, a six-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl — and four Egyptians — a couple and their two sons. People who lived in the compound told Al-Arabiya television over telephone that the attack had wounded scores and caused an unknown number of deaths. Suspected Al-Qaeda extremists had similarly carried out explosions in residential areas of Riyadh on May 12, killing 25 people, including eight Americans. Television pictures showed fire and smoke rising from several of the 200 houses in the ravaged compound and a huge crater, apparently caused by the explosion, was visible inside. Some eyewitnesses said car bombers had used a police vehicle to carry out the attack. The Muhaya compound is located in a politically sensitive district. It is less than five km away from Riyadh's diplomatic zone where most of the foreign embassies and some prominent palaces belonging to Saudi Arabia's ruling family are located. The Saudi Interior Ministry issued a one-paragraph statement, carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, calling it a terrorist attack. In comments published today on the website of the Saudi daily newspaper, Okaz, the Interior Minister, Prince Nayef, said that a connection to suspected Al-Qaeda terrorist cells targeted in recent encounters could not be ruled out. Unlike the May 12 attacks which were on residential compounds occupied by Westerners, Saturday's attack targeted expatriate Arabs — mainly Lebanese and Palestinians — as well as Saudi nationals. A handful of people from European or other western nations, however, occupied some of the houses. There is speculation that the attackers might have chosen to attack the compound to dissuade the Arabs and the Saudis from mixing with foreigners, known for their liberal lifestyle. An Internet site with Al-Qaeda leanings had posted a notice in February warning Saudis that they should not reside close to where possible targets, especially Americans, lived. The modus operandi was similar to the one used by extremists in the May bombings. Witnesses said they heard two smaller explosions and the sound of gunfire, before the larger blast took place. Analysts point out that the smaller detonations and the small arms might have been used by the attackers to force their entry into the compound after engaging the security guards at the entrance. The main explosion took place after the intruders were inside the compound. The U.S. had shut down its embassy in the Saudi capital and its consulates in Dhahran and Jeddah in anticipation of an extremist strike. There have also been reports that the Saudi authorities are yet to eliminate a suspected Al-Qaeda cell in the Kingdom which came to light after the May attacks. There have been several engagements between Saudi authorities and extremists recently and two suspected militants blew themselves up in Mecca last Thursday when Saudi security forces were closing in on them.
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