Saudi Arabia has been the country worst hit by Al-Qaeda’s terrorist operations. At the same time, it achieved remarkable successes in fighting Al-Qaeda terrorists, winning global plaudits.
Since the terrorist attacks began in May 2003, the Kingdom suffered 12 terrorist explosions and 70 random shooting incidents, resulting in the death of 350 people including security officers, ordinary citizens and foreigners and injuring 770 others.
Saudi security forces were successful in foiling many terrorist operations planned by Al-Qaeda militants in various parts of the country. It also took effective measures to dry up the financial sources of terrorists.
The following examples are only some of the major terrorist attacks suffered by the Kingdom in the past.
On May 13, 2003, three explosions took place at Alhamra, Ashbilia and Veniel compounds in Riyadh, killing 34 people including seven Saudis, and injuring 194.
On May 28, 2003, security forces arrested 11 wanted terrorists in Madinah, including three theologians of the deviant ideology — Ali Al-Khodair, Ahmed Al-Khaledi and Nasser Al-Fahd — after raiding their villa in Al-Azhari district. They also arrested another wanted terrorist with his Syrian wife.
On June 15, 2003, security forces raided a villa in the Khalediya district of Makkah and during the gunbattle that followed, five terrorists and two police officers (Yasser Al-Muwalled and Fahd Wazna) died. Police arrested 12 terror suspects including eight Saudis, five Chadians and an Egyptian. They also seized weapons, bombs and explosives.
On July 3, 2003, four terrorists were shot dead including Turki Al-Dandani, Abdul Rahman Jabara (they were on the list of 19 wanted terrorists) and another terrorist was arrested in Al-Jouf.
On July 21, 2003, police announced the arrest of 16 wanted terrorists while they were staying at houses and rest houses in Riyadh, Qassim and the Eastern Province. They also seized huge amounts of explosives from the group.
A week later, security forces raided a ranch in Qassim where terrorists were hiding. The operation resulted in the death of two officers (Sattam Al-Motairy and Ali Al-Harbi), while six terrorists including Ahmed Nasser Al-Dakheel (who was on the wanted list) were shot dead. Police arrested four people for giving refuge to the terror suspects.
On Aug. 13, 2003, three security officers (Muqbil Al-Johani, Sami Al-Harbi and Ahmed Al-Shammari) died during a gunbattle with terrorists in Suwaidi, west of Riyadh. Following that incident, police arrested seven wanted terrorists from Suwaidi and Naseem and seized weapons and explosives.
Three days later, security officers arrested 21 suspects including seven wanted terrorists in a Jazan village and seized a car in which they were carrying weapons, ammunitions and explosives.
On Sept. 25, 2003, Saudi security forces raided a residential flat inside the housing compound of King Fahd Hospital in Jazan. During the ensuing gunbattle, three terrorists including Sultan Al-Qahtani (who was on the wanted list) died while two other suspects surrendered. Hussein Hatthoul, a police officer, died as well.
On Nov. 3, 2003, security officers raided a rest house in Sharaie in Makkah where some terrorists were hiding in order to carry out operations in the city. They opened fire at police who killed two terrorists and arrested five others — four Saudis and a Nigerian.
On Nov. 9, 2003, Al-Mahya residential compound in Riyadh was struck by a truck bomb, killing 17 and injuring 122 others.
On Nov. 26, 2003, security officers foiled a terrorist attack after they saw an explosive-laden vehicle painted with military colors in the Suli district of Riyadh. During the operation, a terrorist named Abdul Mohsen Al-Shabanat died while another terrorist, Musaed Al-Subaie, killed himself by detonating explosives on him. Police arrested one of the perpetrators of the Al-Mahya compound bombing during a raid the next day and seized weapons, explosives and missiles.
On April 22, 2004, a terrorist carried out a suicide bombing in Washm district, a few meters away from the traffic department headquarters in Riyadh, killing five officers and injuring 158 others. The following day, police raided a residential flat in Safa district of Jeddah and during the gunbattle, four wanted terrorists (three of them on the list of 26 wanted terrorists) were killed while the fifth (also on the wanted list) killed himself using explosives in Nuzla. Police also announced the arrest of a group of suspected militants.
On May 2, 2004, four terrorists opened fire at workers of Yanpet petrochemical company in Yanbu, resulting in the death of six people, including two Americans, two Britons, an Australian and a police officer, while a further 21 were injured. Security officers shot dead the four terrorists.
On May 30, 2004 four terrorists opened fire at a company in Alkhobar and held 23 people hostage at the Waha Housing Compound. It resulted in the death of 22 people including nine hostages and injured 25 others. Special security forces raided the building and released all captives. Police arrested one of the four terrorists while three others ran away.
On June 19, 2004, terrorists killed an American hostage named Paul Johnson who worked for Advanced Electronics after Saudi authorities refused to release their colleagues. During an operation in Malaz, security forces killed the leader of Al-Qaeda (Abdul Aziz Al-Muqrin) in the Kingdom and wanted terrorist Faisal Al-Dakheel, as well as Turki Al-Motairy, one of the attackers in Alkhobar, and Ibrahim Al-Deraihem.
On Sept. 11, 2004, two limited explosions took place in front of the Saudi American Bank in Sitteen Street and Saudi British Bank in Tahlia Street using two stolen cars. Police arrested two suspects and seized weapons and explosives from their hideout in Dahban.
On Dec. 7, 2004, five terrorists sneaked into the American consulate in Jeddah and took a number of workers hostage. During the ensuing gun battle between security officials and the terrorists, five workers were killed and eight others injured. Security officers killed four terrorists and arrested the fifth one.
On Dec. 29, 2004, a terrorist tried to attack the Interior Ministry using an explosive-laden vehicle, but security guards prevented their attempt. Three terrorists died in the incident. On the same day, another explosive-laden vehicle targeted a building used for mobilizing special forces in Suli. Two terrorists died in the incident, which injured 93.
April 4, 2005 saw the longest gunbattle with terrorists in Al-Rass, which lasted 60 hours. Fifteen terrorists were gunned down and five others were arrested. The dead included two wanted terrorists. After three days police killed another wanted terrorist, Abdul Rahman Al-Yazji.
On Aug. 18, 2005, police arrested nine wanted terrorists in three operations in Riyadh, Madinah and Arar. Two terrorists were killed, including Saleh Al-Aufi and Muhammad Al-Owaida.
On Sept. 4, 2005, security officers raided a suspect villa in Mubarakiya, Dammam and killed five wanted terrorists. Four policemen died.
On Feb. 24, 2006, security forces foiled a terrorist attack on an oil processing facility at Abqaiq in the Eastern Province. Eight terrorists including Abdullah Al-Tuwaijri and Muhammad Al-Ghaith were killed and two security officers were injured.
http://www.arabsnews.com/
Saudi security forces were successful in foiling many terrorist operations planned by Al-Qaeda militants in various parts of the country. It also took effective measures to dry up the financial sources of terrorists.
The following examples are only some of the major terrorist attacks suffered by the Kingdom in the past.
On May 13, 2003, three explosions took place at Alhamra, Ashbilia and Veniel compounds in Riyadh, killing 34 people including seven Saudis, and injuring 194.
On May 28, 2003, security forces arrested 11 wanted terrorists in Madinah, including three theologians of the deviant ideology — Ali Al-Khodair, Ahmed Al-Khaledi and Nasser Al-Fahd — after raiding their villa in Al-Azhari district. They also arrested another wanted terrorist with his Syrian wife.
On June 15, 2003, security forces raided a villa in the Khalediya district of Makkah and during the gunbattle that followed, five terrorists and two police officers (Yasser Al-Muwalled and Fahd Wazna) died. Police arrested 12 terror suspects including eight Saudis, five Chadians and an Egyptian. They also seized weapons, bombs and explosives.
On July 3, 2003, four terrorists were shot dead including Turki Al-Dandani, Abdul Rahman Jabara (they were on the list of 19 wanted terrorists) and another terrorist was arrested in Al-Jouf.
On July 21, 2003, police announced the arrest of 16 wanted terrorists while they were staying at houses and rest houses in Riyadh, Qassim and the Eastern Province. They also seized huge amounts of explosives from the group.
A week later, security forces raided a ranch in Qassim where terrorists were hiding. The operation resulted in the death of two officers (Sattam Al-Motairy and Ali Al-Harbi), while six terrorists including Ahmed Nasser Al-Dakheel (who was on the wanted list) were shot dead. Police arrested four people for giving refuge to the terror suspects.
On Aug. 13, 2003, three security officers (Muqbil Al-Johani, Sami Al-Harbi and Ahmed Al-Shammari) died during a gunbattle with terrorists in Suwaidi, west of Riyadh. Following that incident, police arrested seven wanted terrorists from Suwaidi and Naseem and seized weapons and explosives.
Three days later, security officers arrested 21 suspects including seven wanted terrorists in a Jazan village and seized a car in which they were carrying weapons, ammunitions and explosives.
On Sept. 25, 2003, Saudi security forces raided a residential flat inside the housing compound of King Fahd Hospital in Jazan. During the ensuing gunbattle, three terrorists including Sultan Al-Qahtani (who was on the wanted list) died while two other suspects surrendered. Hussein Hatthoul, a police officer, died as well.
On Nov. 3, 2003, security officers raided a rest house in Sharaie in Makkah where some terrorists were hiding in order to carry out operations in the city. They opened fire at police who killed two terrorists and arrested five others — four Saudis and a Nigerian.
On Nov. 9, 2003, Al-Mahya residential compound in Riyadh was struck by a truck bomb, killing 17 and injuring 122 others.
On Nov. 26, 2003, security officers foiled a terrorist attack after they saw an explosive-laden vehicle painted with military colors in the Suli district of Riyadh. During the operation, a terrorist named Abdul Mohsen Al-Shabanat died while another terrorist, Musaed Al-Subaie, killed himself by detonating explosives on him. Police arrested one of the perpetrators of the Al-Mahya compound bombing during a raid the next day and seized weapons, explosives and missiles.
On April 22, 2004, a terrorist carried out a suicide bombing in Washm district, a few meters away from the traffic department headquarters in Riyadh, killing five officers and injuring 158 others. The following day, police raided a residential flat in Safa district of Jeddah and during the gunbattle, four wanted terrorists (three of them on the list of 26 wanted terrorists) were killed while the fifth (also on the wanted list) killed himself using explosives in Nuzla. Police also announced the arrest of a group of suspected militants.
On May 2, 2004, four terrorists opened fire at workers of Yanpet petrochemical company in Yanbu, resulting in the death of six people, including two Americans, two Britons, an Australian and a police officer, while a further 21 were injured. Security officers shot dead the four terrorists.
On May 30, 2004 four terrorists opened fire at a company in Alkhobar and held 23 people hostage at the Waha Housing Compound. It resulted in the death of 22 people including nine hostages and injured 25 others. Special security forces raided the building and released all captives. Police arrested one of the four terrorists while three others ran away.
On June 19, 2004, terrorists killed an American hostage named Paul Johnson who worked for Advanced Electronics after Saudi authorities refused to release their colleagues. During an operation in Malaz, security forces killed the leader of Al-Qaeda (Abdul Aziz Al-Muqrin) in the Kingdom and wanted terrorist Faisal Al-Dakheel, as well as Turki Al-Motairy, one of the attackers in Alkhobar, and Ibrahim Al-Deraihem.
On Sept. 11, 2004, two limited explosions took place in front of the Saudi American Bank in Sitteen Street and Saudi British Bank in Tahlia Street using two stolen cars. Police arrested two suspects and seized weapons and explosives from their hideout in Dahban.
On Dec. 7, 2004, five terrorists sneaked into the American consulate in Jeddah and took a number of workers hostage. During the ensuing gun battle between security officials and the terrorists, five workers were killed and eight others injured. Security officers killed four terrorists and arrested the fifth one.
On Dec. 29, 2004, a terrorist tried to attack the Interior Ministry using an explosive-laden vehicle, but security guards prevented their attempt. Three terrorists died in the incident. On the same day, another explosive-laden vehicle targeted a building used for mobilizing special forces in Suli. Two terrorists died in the incident, which injured 93.
April 4, 2005 saw the longest gunbattle with terrorists in Al-Rass, which lasted 60 hours. Fifteen terrorists were gunned down and five others were arrested. The dead included two wanted terrorists. After three days police killed another wanted terrorist, Abdul Rahman Al-Yazji.
On Aug. 18, 2005, police arrested nine wanted terrorists in three operations in Riyadh, Madinah and Arar. Two terrorists were killed, including Saleh Al-Aufi and Muhammad Al-Owaida.
On Sept. 4, 2005, security officers raided a suspect villa in Mubarakiya, Dammam and killed five wanted terrorists. Four policemen died.
On Feb. 24, 2006, security forces foiled a terrorist attack on an oil processing facility at Abqaiq in the Eastern Province. Eight terrorists including Abdullah Al-Tuwaijri and Muhammad Al-Ghaith were killed and two security officers were injured.
http://www.arabsnews.com/
Brak komentarzy:
Prześlij komentarz
komentarze