DAMMAM, 11 March 2004 — The recent car burnings in Dammam have baffled authorities and created panic among the public.
Since the beginning of this month, 14 cars have been torched in Dammam and Alkhobar, the most recent on Sunday night when three vehicles were destroyed.
The Eastern Province Police Department insist that most of the burned cars have been abandoned and it appears that their glass was smashed and the vehicles then torched.
The Arabic daily Al-Watan has reported that some arrests have been made on the basis of eyewitness accounts. The police department has said that an investigation and inquiry is in progress.
The first torching took place on March 2 when five cars were burned in Aziziyah District in Alkhobar and six cars in Jalawiya area. The recent burnings have intensified the investigation.
Residents say that there does not appear to be any pattern but rather an attempt by certain individuals to create panic. The municipality has, however, intensified its campaign to remove abandoned vehicles from city streets.
People in Dammam and Alkhobar have expressed concern since they say that most people park their cars on the streets at night and so are vulnerable to acts of vandalism.
