Two bombing blasts rock Riyadh, Saudi Arabia before one hour!
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Local News:
- One taxi driver died so far
- The CAR bomb that exploded near the interior ministry was remotely ignited
- The police are chasing some terrorists in north Riyadh
- The second Explosion was in the emergency forces compound
- The CAR bomb that exploded near the interior ministry in the Saudi capital Riyadh was a GMC
- The police is chasing some terrorists in north Riyadh
Car Bombs Explode Near Saudi Interior Ministry
6 minutes ago
By Laith Abou-Ragheb
RIYADH (Reuters) - Twin car bombs exploded near Saudi Arabia's interior ministry and a security unit on Wednesday in what appeared to be the latest strike by al Qaeda militants in the world's biggest oil exporter.
Security sources said there was no immediate word of casualties in the central Riyadh blasts, which sent global oil prices higher. It was not immediately clear if they were suicide bombings.
A Reuters reporter said there was superficial damage to the interior ministry building. Helicopters hovered above the area, which was cordoned off by police.
The second bomb exploded near a training center for special emergency forces, a security official said.
"This is most probably a terrorist attack," the official told Reuters. "There was another car bomb at the same time as the first bomb near a training center for special emergency forces"
Saudi Arabia has been battling for over a year a wave of suicide bombings and shootings by the Saudi wing of al Qaeda, which is bent on toppling the pro-Western monarchy and driving Westerners out of the birthplace of Islam.
The attack was the first against a government building since an al Qaeda suicide bombing at a security forces building in Riyadh in April.
Earlier on Wednesday, Saudi police killed a suspected militant in a shootout in Riyadh and captured two wanted militants after a gun battle in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, state television and security sources said.
It was not clear if the militants were on the list of 26 most wanted militants linked to al Qaeda.
Earlier this month, al Qaeda militants stormed the U.S. consulate in Jeddah, killing five non-U.S. staff in the first attack on a Western mission in Saudi.
An audio tape attributed to Saudi-born al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden praised the attack, in which four militants were also killed, and called for strikes on oil facilities in the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia has been rocked by a surge of Islamic militant violence since May 2003, in which about 170 people have been killed, including Westerners.
Car bomb explodes near interior ministry in Riyadh
RIYADH (AFX) - A car bomb exploded near the interior ministry in the Saudi capital on Wednesday evening, a security man at the scene said.
Security forces closed off roads leading to al-Maazar district where the interior ministry and the Intercontinental Hotel are located, an Agence France-Presse correspondent said.
The blast occurred hours after Saudi security forces shot dead a gunman in Riyadh in a fresh shootout as they combed a district where a terror suspect and a civilian were killed in a clash the night before.
Suspected Al-Qaeda militants have killed more than 100 people and wounded hundreds more in Saudi Arabia since launching a wave of bombing and shooting attacks in May 2003.
Car bomb explodes in Riyadh
From correspondents in Riyadh
December 30, 2004
A CAR bomb exploded near the interior ministry in the Saudi capital Riyadh this evening, a security man at the scene said.
Security forces closed off roads leading to al-Maazar district where the interior ministry and the Intercontinental Hotel are located, an AFP correspondent said
It was not immediately known if there were any casualties.
The blast occurred hours after Saudi security forces killed a gunman in Riyadh in a shootout as they combed a district where a terror suspect and a civilian were killed in a clash the night before.
Suspected al-Qaeda militants have killed more than 100 people and wounded hundreds more in Saudi Arabia since launching a wave of bombing and shooting attacks in May 2003, many of them targeting foreigners.
In the last such attack, militants stormed the the US consulate in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah in broad daylight on December 6, killing five non-US employees of the mission.
Four of the gunmen were also killed in the attack, which was the first of its kind on a diplomatic mission in the oil-rich desert kingdom and claimed by the Saudi branch of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.
Many militants and security men have been killed in clashes since the wave of attacks began and hundreds of suspects have been rounded up.
Agence France-Presse
Car bomb explodes near interior ministry in Riyadh
RIYADH - A car bomb exploded near the interior ministry in the Saudi capital Riyadh Wednesday evening, a security man at the scene told AFP.
Security forces closed off roads leading to al-Maazar district where the interior ministry and the Intercontinental Hotel are located, an AFP correspondent said.
The blast occurred hours after Saudi security forces shot dead a gunman in Riyadh in a fresh shootout as they combed a district where a terror suspect and a civilian were killed in a clash the night before.
The gunman opened fire from a car and hurled a bomb at security men, slightly injuring four of them, said an interior ministry statement reported by official media.
Suspected Al-Qaeda militants have killed more than 100 people and wounded hundreds more in Saudi Arabia since launching a wave of bombing and shooting attacks in May 2003.
Many militants and security men have been killed in clashes since the wave of attacks began and hundreds of suspects have been rounded up.
In the last major militant attack, gunmen stormed the US consulate in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah in broad daylight on December 6, killing five non-US employees of the mission.
Four of the gunmen were also killed in the attack, which was the first of its kind on a diplomatic mission in the oil-rich desert kingdom and claimed by the Saudi branch of Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network.
Many militants and security men have been killed in clashes since the wave of attacks began and hundreds of suspects have been rounded up.
- AFP
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Large Blasts Heard in Saudi Capital-Witnesses
World - Reuters
RIYADH (Reuters) - A car bomb exploded near the Interior Ministry in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Wednesday but the building itself was not damaged, a security source said.
There was no immediate word of casualties. The source said it was not yet clear if it was a suicide bombing.
Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, has been battling a wave of al Qaeda linked violence.
Witnesses reported hearing two large blasts near the ministry building as well as gunfire. The blasts were felt up to 2 km (1.25 miles) away from the area, they said.
Earlier in the day, Saudi police killed a suspected militant in a shootout in Riyadh and captured two wanted militants after a gun battle in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, state television and security sources said.
It was not clear if the militants were on the list of 26 most wanted militants linked to al Qaeda.
Earlier this month, al Qaeda militants stormed the U.S. consulate in Jeddah, killing five non-U.S. staff in the first attack on a Western mission in Saudi.
An audio tape attributed to Saudi-born al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden praised the attack, in which four militants were also killed, and called for strikes on oil facilities in the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia has been rocked by a surge of Islamic militant violence since May 2003, in which about 170 people have been killed, including Westerners.
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