3 explosions rock compound housing foreigners in Riyadh
Posted: November 8, 2003
5:25 p.m. Eastern
© 2003 WorldNetDaily.com
A day after the U.S. warned of terror attacks and shut its missions in Saudi Arabia, three explosions were heard near the diplomatic quarter in the capital of Riyadh.
A large blast was followed by two smaller ones 15 seconds apart.
Fox News reports the attack targeted the B2 compound, which is in the Nakheel neighborhood near the Muhaya shopping center. It is a residential compound, which houses mainly Saudis and a few foreigners, mostly Italians and Germans. The compound comprises 200 villas.
It's not clear what caused the blasts which shook some windows in the capital. A Western diplomat said a thin plume of smoke could be seen rising from the compound and al-Jazeera reported a large fire and shootout in the compound where the explosion occurred.
There were conflicting reports about the number of dead and wounded. A Saudi hospital official said dozens of people were killed. A resident inside the compound, told the Al-Arabiya television network ''about 20 to 30 people have been killed and 50 to 60 injured.''
Saudi Arabia is battling a surge in Islamist violence believed to be linked to bin Laden's al-Qaida network.
Five militants have died in clashes with security forces since Monday, when authorities foiled a planned attack on Muslim pilgrims in the holy city of Mecca.
Suicide bombers killed 35 people, including nine Americans, in an attack on
Western residential compounds in Riyadh six months
ago.
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