TAIF: A crowd of 40 people armed with stones attacked the Ashira Secondary School in the town of Turba near Taif and broke the school’s windows on Tuesday. The group also smashed cars parked at the school’s gates, Al-Madinah newspaper reported yesterday.
After the group left the school, two groups of people sitting in two cars parked on a nearby road exchanged gunfire. Three police teams pursued the gunmen.
“The assault on the school, including the exchange of gunfire on Tuesday, was the culmination of a fight on Saturday. My brother suffered head injuries and is currently being treated at the Ashira Health Center in Turba,” said Muhammad Al-Maqati, whose brother is a student at the school.
Al-Maqati said police did not arrest his brother’s attackers, even though he provided them with their names.
Aed Mutlaq, a witness, blamed the police for not arresting the troublemakers. “A large group of people attacked the school and two of my brothers were beaten up. The incident was witnessed by many teachers and mentioned in a statement submitted by the school principal. But the police have not done anything to arrest the culprits,” he said.
The spokesman for Taif police was unavailable for comment.
In another development, a teacher’s car at Erqain School in Turba was vandalized and its windows smashed on Tuesday. Police are investigating the incident. The teacher believes students may have vented their frustration on his car after finding their exam papers difficult.
