Saudi Security Forces, Militants Clash Near Islamic Fundamentalist Stronghold
The Associated Press

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) – Saudi security forces clashed with militants Sunday in a daylong gunbattle near a northern town known as a stronghold of Islamic fundamentalists, killing three terror suspects.

Fifteen members of the security forces also were wounded in the shootout in the town of ar-Rass, 220 miles northwest of the capital Riyadh, Al-Ekhbariya television quoted the governor of al-Qassim province, Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdul Aziz, as saying.

Ar-Rass is near Buraydah, a known stronghold of Islamic fundamentalists in the kingdom.
Al-Ekhbariya reported late Sunday that the gunbattle was still going on.

Security forces had killed “three wanted terrorists” and forced the other militants to flee their hideout to a building that is under construction, the governor said, according to the all-news satellite TV channel.

This is a currently ongoing story. I’ll have more when it’s available.

[UPDATE: 04/03/02] The Arab News has further details on this incident, the longest stand-off yet in the Saudi war against terror.

[UPDATE: 04/04/05] According to this report from the Associated Press, this clash is reaching its end, with Saudi security forces now mopping up.

[UPDATE: 04/04/05] 7 Terrorists Shot Dead as Battle Rages

Khaled Al-Awadh, Arab News

AL-RASS, 5 April 2005 — As Saudi security forces killed seven suspected terrorists in a fierce gunbattle that raged for the second successive day till late last night here, the Cabinet renewed its pledge to continue the Kingdom’s anti-terror campaign.

The leader of the Al-Qaeda cell in Saudi Arabia, Saleh Al-Aufi who was reported killed earlier, is holed up in a villa, an informed source said. Talib Saud Al-Talib, another most wanted terrorist on the list of 26, was also with Aufi.

The Arab News also has an editorial: Editorial: War on Terror

5 April 2005

SUNDAY’S 12-hour gunbattle between security forces and wanted Al-Qaeda terrorists in Al-Rass in Qasim region was the most ferocious yet in this country’s war against terrorism. It demonstrates very strongly and once again the authorities’ utter determination to eliminate terrorism. There will be no let-up in the continuing fight against terror.

No one imagines that this is an easy war to win. By its very nature the war will be long and arduous. We are dealing with people who have a warped and twisted vision of Islam and who do not care whom they kill — most of the dead so far have in fact been fellow Saudis and fellow Muslims: Security forces, people at work in offices, innocent bystanders. Killed too have been innocent foreigners but of course they were the targets because they have skills to help this country grow and prosper. And those who target them want the opposite; they want to destroy the Kingdom’s economic stability and prosperity; they want to frighten foreigners into leaving and other foreigners from coming. Chaos, bloodshed and misery are the goals of the terrorists….

Truly worth reading the whole thing!