JEDDAH, 5 January 2004 — A senior military officer in the southern border city of Jizan was found shot dead in front of his house on Saturday. Al-Jazirah Arabic daily said the attack on Brig. Gen. Hadi Mabjer Al-Sahli, chairman of the military council at the border guards command in the Jizan region, took place soon after Fajr prayers as people in the neighborhood had seen him at the mosque for the prayer.
The general’s murder comes less than a week after an attempt on a high-ranking intelligence officer in Riyadh. The officer escaped unharmed when his car exploded last Monday night.
There were conflicting reports on the general’s death. Family members were quoted as saying that unidentified gunmen shot him dead while others said he committed suicide because of psychological pressure.
Sahli’s maid said she woke at 5 a.m. terrified by the sound of gunshots outside the house, where she found the general’s body in a pool of blood. Police have launched an investigation into the incident.
Maj. Gen. Saleh Al-Santeeli, director of border guards in Jizan, said he believed a family dispute could be behind the crime. Sahli’s father agreed and accused a relative of the murder. A will has been found near the body but Al-Jazirah said it was not clear who wrote the will and what its relation with the murder was.
Saudi Arabia launched a nationwide campaign against terror following the May 12, 2003 bombings at residential compounds in Riyadh.
