JEDDAH, 20 September 2005 — Two unidentified assailants armed with firearms attacked a Yemeni shopkeeper at a mobile phone showroom in eastern Jeddah yesterday, just three days after an aborted robbery at the place.
Thirty-two-year-old Mansour Al-Mahdi has been admitted to the intensive care unit of Al-Thagher Hospital after he was seriously wounded in the attack which took place in broad daylight.
Dr. Abdullatif Abdul Rahim, director of Al-Thagher Hospital, said Mansour’s condition was still critical. He confirmed that Mansour was stabbed three times in his back and had a deep bullet wound on his right thigh.
The hospital official said the patient was unable to speak as parts of his face and his right side are paralyzed.
Dr. Abdul Rahim said Mansour required intensive care and specialized treatment. “We have already requested King Fahd Hospital to admit him for advanced treatment. But we are still waiting for their reply,” he added.
Muhammad Al-Mahdi, the brother of the victim, told Arab News that the attack took place three days after workers at the showroom on Kilo 14, Makkah Road, foiled an attempt by three men to steal mobile phone sets.
“They managed to get hold of one of the suspected thieves and handed him over to the police,” Al-Mahdi said, adding that the other two had escaped.
“Mansour had just reopened the shop after Dhuhr (noon) prayers when the assailants filed in holding guns,” he said.
According to an eyewitness, two people — a Yemeni and an African — came to the shop and pulled a gun. “They asked me to leave. No sooner I left the shop than I heard sounds of gunfire. I was unable to do anything. Five minutes later the two left the shop and fled to an old residential neighborhood,” said the witness.
“We then saw Mansour lying on the shop floor with wounds from gunfire and stabbing,” he said. “We immediately contacted the police who took him to hospital,” he said.
Al-Mahdi said he believed that the attack was related to the robbery attempt three days ago. “It must have been carried out by members of the same gang to avenge their colleague who was handed over to the police,” he said.
Ali Shouie, owner of a shop adjacent to that of Mansour’s, said he suspected that one of the two gunmen might be the brother of the arrested thief. He said most shopkeepers in the area were carrying guns for protection.
A security source at Jamia police station, meanwhile, told Arab News that fingerprints taken from the crime scene showed that one of the assailants was a wanted criminal.
As part of the investigation, police questioned the man’s father and the imam of the mosque in the neighborhood where he lives. The father said he had disowned his son two years ago because of his criminal activity.
In an ongoing clampdown on crime, security forces arrested thousands of people in various parts of the country. The raids were conducted after the authorities noticed an increase in crimes, especially in areas where overstayers and other illegals live. During a security sweep in Jeddah last week, police netted 37 people with criminal records in addition to more than 1,000 overstayers.
