RIYADH: A Sri Lankan man was killed in a labor camp in Al-Salamah district of Jeddah on Thursday, the Sri Lankan Consulate said on Wednesday.
According to an official from the consulate, Mohammed Muhsin Intikab, 24, has become the victim in a gang fight between two groups comprising mostly Sri Lankan workers.
The official said a friend who said he was being attacked summoned Intikab. “When Intikab appeared at the scene, members of the opposing gang stabbed him and the victim succumbed to injuries on the spot,” he said.
The police have arrested 11 suspects in the murder, most of whom are Sri Lankan.
An official at King Fahd Hospital in Jeddah said the victim suffered five stab wounds to the chest and abdomen. The body is being held at the morgue until an investigation is completed.
The consulate source said Intikab was alleged to be a runaway worker who had come to Jeddah from Riyadh.
“He has been doing odd jobs here in Jeddah to make ends meet,” said the source, pointing out that the deceased had come to the Kingdom last year to earn some money to pay for his sister’s marriage. He said the family members had already given their consent to bury the deceased in Jeddah.
The official said around 50 runaway workers report to the Jeddah mission every day on average complaining ill treatment by sponsors, nonpayment of salaries and other unfair working conditions.
