JEDDAH, 23 August 2006 — Two out of the four suspected militants who surrendered on Monday night after a 17-hour gun battle here were identified as Turki Al-Mutairi and Ghazi Al-Otaibi.
The two men were among seven prisoners who escaped from a prison near Riyadh in July. An official source in the Interior Ministry said that the two arrested men are being questioned.
Security forces came under gunfire on Monday as they attempted to storm and arrest the suspects in a residential building in Jeddah’s Al-Jamia district. The operation was considered a success as no one was killed or seriously injured in spite of a 17-hour exchange of gunfire in a highly populated area of Jeddah.
Faisal Al-Shamrani, who has lived in the area all his life, said: “Al-Jamia is the only district in Jeddah with three neighborhood ombudsmen (umdas). It is heavily populated and a person can easily hide in such a mixed district without being noticed.”
Al-Shamrani added that the building targeted was unregistered at the local office of the umda. “We have more than 700 houses registered to both Saudis and non-Saudis.”
Meanwhile, three security cars still blocked roads leading to the building. Police officers were also seen standing around and would not allow journalists to enter the area or interview residents. Vehicles belonging to authorities could also be seen at the scene gathering evidence.
Life has generally returned to normal in the district. Shops were open again as most had been shut the day before, and children were again playing on the streets. A number of buildings could be seen with hundreds of bullet holes and charred effects of a fire that had started in a neighboring building after bullets hit an air-conditioning unit.
Ahmad, a teenager who lives with his family next door to the building where the four suspects were besieged, described the experience as “horrifying.”
“We decided not to evacuate our house, and today it is the topic of the day,” said Ahmad. “It was a horrible thing to live through. I wouldn’t wish it for anyone.”
Saleh Muhammad Basubaeh, whose father owns a large warehouse that supplies most shops in the area, said: “We were closed down yesterday; we lost SR10,000 to SR15,000 worth of sales.”
On the other hand, Ali, owner of the Al-Rayyan Mini Market, said the siege was a boon for his business. “Policemen were looking for calling cards and refreshments and so asked us to open up,” said Ali. “We made 50 percent more in sales than we regular do. Officers bought calling cards, cigarettes food and refreshments. Apart from police officers there were hundreds of bystanders watching the ‘show’ and also bought their snacks, cigarettes and drinks from us.”
