MAKKAH, 18 June 2003 — Makkah Governor Prince Abdul Majeed on Monday visited those injured in a shootout between security forces and suspected terrorists here last Saturday. The governor commended the police officers who were among the injured for the courage they displayed in confronting the terrorists.
Five terrorists and two policemen were killed in the armed clashes in Makkah’s Khaldiya district on Saturday. Seven suspected terrorists were arrested following the incident. The police raided the suspects’ houses in the district and confiscated 72 bombs of various sizes, as well as machine-guns, masks and chemicals to make explosives.
“You have done a great job in the service of your society and in defense of your country’s security and stability,” Prince Abdul Majeed told the officers.
The prince also visited the families of the two police officers who were killed — Capt. Yasir Al-Muwallad and Fahd Wazna — at their home and conveyed his condolences.
The families of the two men thanked the prince for his visit. “We are proud that our sons died in the service of our beloved country,” they said.
Innocent bystanders who were injured during the armed encounter thanked the prince for his visit. They also condemned the terrorist attacks, saying they go against Islamic teachings and Saudi culture.
In a related development, Shareef Mansour Abu-Rayash, a Saudi businessman, donated two plots of land to the families of the dead police officers.
“This is the least we can give to people who have sacrificed their lives for their country,” he said.
Ghazi Al-Barboosh, a resident of Makkah, condemned the latest terrorist act in Makkah. “Swift punishment should be visited on such criminals,” he said.
Barboosh said the suspected terrorists who killed two police officers and injured several others in Makkah had violated the sanctity of the holy city. He urged Saudi citizens to cooperate with police in tracking down criminals and report any suspicious activities in order to preserve the country’s security.
Meanwhile, Saudi authorities have arrested three people suspected of taking part in Saturday’s shootout in Makkah. Al-Riyadh newspaper said the three men, two from Chad and one from Pakistan, were arrested near a hotel close to the Grand Mosque.
Using helicopters and motorcycles, the authorities are continuing their search for suspected terrorists, combing the desert along the road linking Jeddah and Makkah. The authorities have been searching for terrorists since the May 12 suicide attacks on three residential compounds in Riyadh in which 35 people were killed and nearly 200 injured.
