|
|
April 15, 2005 |
|
||
|
|
|
|
||
|
|||||
THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES EXPRESSES HIS PLEASURE AT THE SUCCESS OF THE SECURITY FORCES AGAINST THE DEVIANT GROUP. PRINCE NAIF IBN ABDUL AZIZ TOURS THE SITE OF THE OPERATIONS IN AL RASS AND VISITS THE WOUNDED AND MEETS MEMBERS OF THE SECURITY FORCES. THE INTERIOR MINISTER CALLS BACK ON TERRORISTS TO GO BACK TO THE RIGHT PATH OR OTHERWISE THEY WILL FACE DEATH. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz has expressed his thanks to Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Interior, and the security men for their successful efforts in confronting the deviating group and defending the religion and the homeland. In a cable addressed to Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques expressed his pleasure over the victory achieved by security men against the deviant group, wishing a quick recovery for the injured security men. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques stressed that the evil doers of this deviating group will be defeated. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Interior and Prince Faisal Ibn Bandar Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Governor of Qassim Region, have addressed cables to the Saudi leadership on the occasion of the security men's recent victory over perpetrators of the wicked terrorist acts. In a reply cable to Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard who praised the security men for their proficiency and bravery in confronting the wicked terrorist acts, Prince Naif said that this successful security achievement is due to the directives and generous support provided by the Saudi leadership for security men . Prince Naif stressed that security men have been and will be a shield to protect the homeland's security and to confront anyone who attempts to infringe on this country. On his part, Prince Faisal Ibn Bandar Ibn Abdul Aziz has addressed cables to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard and Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General. He praised Almighty Allah that security men have eliminated the deviant group in a residential building in Rass Governorate through killing a number of terrorists and arresting others. Prince Faisal Ibn Bandar said, ''Thanks to the wise directives of the Saudi leadership for this great security achievement''. Interior Minister Prince Naif visited the battleground in Al-Rass. Col. Muhammad Al-Shahrani, commander of special forces in Qasim, briefed the minister on the three-day clashes with the militants as well as on the efforts being made to cleanse the area of explosives and collect criminal evidences. Prince Naif also watched a variety of weapons seized from the terrorists during the operation and paid a visit to the wounded in Al-Rass hospital. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd sent a message of appreciation to Prince Naif, commending the efforts of security forces in combating terror. "You have proved to the world that there is no place for such corrupt people in our country," the king told the officers. Security was tight in Al-Rass and holicopters were seen hovering above the whole day. Citizens were not allowed to enter the area until all the necessary precautions had been taken, said a security source. Brig. Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman of the Interior Ministry, said that the cleansing operation would take some time. "We'll allow residents to enter the town only after completing the cleansing process for their own safety," he said. He said the use of rocket-propelled grenades and explosives by the terrorists had caused damage to houses and other buildings in the area. Some schools in the area remained closed for the third consecutive day while others reported poor attendance. "We have postponed mid-term examinations till next week," said Mohammad Rashed Al-Gufaily, the headmaster of the Al-Shafie Primary School. Meanwhile, a source said that many of the terrorists who surrendered in Al-Rass two days ago told police that they did not know which city they were in because they were smuggled into the city disguised in black abayas. The incident is not the first where terrorists have abused the Saudi female traditional dress to escape being searched at checkpoints and travel freely between cities in the Kingdom. Last year in a raid that took place in Al-Jazirah district in Riyadh, some terrorists fled the scene in black abayas. And a large number of abayas were found in raids on terror cells in Makkah, Madinah, Taif and Qasim. The killing put the number of terror suspects killed by security officers in the Kingdom in the past three days in a row to 15. They included Abdul Kareem Al-Majati and Saud Al-Otaibi, two most wanted terrorists. With Al-Yaziji's killing, the number of terrorists still on the run from the list of 26 is now down to three Saleh Al-Oufi, the alleged Al-Qaeda commander in Saudi Arabia's Talib Al-Talib, and Abdullah Al-Rashoud. Interior Minster Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz in his visit to Al-Rass Governorate during which he inspected the scene of security confrontation was briefed on the operations and shown the seized weapons and ammunition. He lauded the brave security men and said that they have won the confidence of the citizens, the state and the rulers. Prince Naif said whoever sympathized with the deviant group has committed a crime no less than theirs. He said these people are fewer in number. He called upon all who have adopted deviant thinking to return to the right path. Prince Naif stressed that whoever has information must not keep silent. He regretted that the deviant group that targeted the nation are the sons of this nation. He said by killing innocent people they were distorting the image of Islam. He added, If they continue in their deeds we will confront them until they return to the right path. Asked if terrorism in the Kingdom was declining, he said, We will continue until it ends and this won t be long, God willing. Asked if the terrorist operations have come to an end, he said, I cannot say that the operations have ended. God willing they will decrease. Otherwise we will confront them. These people are trying to hide under the name of Islam when they are far away from it, said Sheikh Ahmad Jielan, Imam of Ebad Al-Raham mosque in Jeddah. What they are doing is wrong, they are not thinking right and the only thing they did is harming themselves, families and their country. Oufi disappeared in 2004, and was presumed dead, until resurfacing in March. He had issued five tape-recorded messages recently as well as a textual clarification. The killings of Mejjati and Otaibi provide a further boost for the Saudi security forces efforts to rid the Kingdom of terrorism. Sheikh Ahmed Al-Banany, Islamic studies professor at Umm Al-Qura University said, These people are considered outlaws. They are young and ignorant, they don t have a clear state of mind to think with. Sheikh Jielan added: They (extremists) are thinking in an oblique state of mind. We want them to surrender instead of killing themselves, he added. Commandos stormed a villa in which the suspected terrorists had barricaded themselves for two days following a firefight at Al-Rass, a town 355km northwest of Riyadh. The three bodies believed to be those of Mejjati, Otaibi and Oufi are at the hospital for DNA testing for positive identification. The forensics will give the final word, Brigadier Mansour Al-Turki said. The standoff at Al-Rass was the longest-running battle between the security forces and Islamic militants since Al-Qaeda took its fight to the Kingdom two years ago. Oufi was the most sought after suspected terrorist on the continuing shrinking most wanted list. He is a former police officer born near Madina who joined rebels in Afghanistan and Chechnya. He returned to Saudi Arabia in 1995. He worked in the shadow of the notorious Al-Qaeda cell leader Abdulaziz Al-Muqrin when Muqrin was in charge of the terrorist operations in Saudi Arabia. Muqrin was killed last June 18 following the beheading of American hostage Paul Marshall Johnson, Jr., 49, of New Jersey. Oufi replaced Muqrin to run the secret cell. He was responsible for training, recruitment and logistics, but many terrorism experts believed that he was not up to the task of filling Muqrin s shoes as a charismatic leader. In fact, terrorist operations have been sporadic at best since Muqrin's death. While Oufi's efforts to lead an insurgent cause against the Kingdom failed, security men refused to underestimate Oufi's abilities. He came from the security ranks of Madina. Saudi forces killed Abdul Rahman Al-Yazji, one of three remaining fugitives on the 26 most wanted list. Government sources say that Yazji, who was gunned down at about 8:30 A.M. in Riyadh, was in the capital city either to act as a diversion for Saleh Al-Oufi as he and his henchmen battled security forces in Al-Ras or was plotting an attack. Yazji s death and the defeat of Oufi and confederates Abdul Karim Al-Mejjati and Saud Homoud Al-Otaibi, was the bloodiest battle since extremists attacked the US Consulate in Jeddah on Dec. 6. Five non-US citizen employees were killed. Later that month, the Ministry of Interior building and a training center in Riyadh were attacked, resulting in light casualties. Interior Ministry officials could not immediately confirm Yazji s killing. But sources said thes clash took place in the Sinaiyah District of southern Riyadh. An unidentified man wounded alongside Yazji was in hospital in serious condition, they said. Yazji was shot dead during a raid by security forces on a house where he was holed up with his comrade in an industrial area in the south of the capital, sources said. In addition to the dead militants, five others were wounded and one militant surrendered. Fourteen security men were also wounded, said Brig Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman of the Ministry of Interior. We are waiting for the final word from the hospital to make sure of their identities (of the dead), he added. A campaign of bombings and shootings blamed on Al-Qaeda has killed 90 civilians in Saudi Arabia since May 2003, according to official figures. Thirty-nine members of the security forces and 106 militants have also been killed, including the 14 confirmed by the interior ministry to have died. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, said the government was determined to eradicate terrorism and fight the deviant group. Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Interior Minister, has highlighted the significant role being played by the security men in enhancing the pillars of security and stability in the country. At his meeting with the security men in Qassim region, Prince Naif praised the wise manner in which the security men contained the terror incident in the City of Rass. He noted that members of the deviant group, by carrying out terror acts, have been actually defaming Islam, adding that 'it is an essential matter to firmly and wisely confront them'. Prince Naif urged the Muslim scholars and sociologists to shoulder their responsibility as regards confronting the deviant groups. 'God willing, we will work determinately to deter those who try to undermine the security and stability of the country', he said. Meanwhile, at his meeting with citizens, notables and officials of Qassim region at Qassim Regional Airport, Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz said 'despite the fact that the security men have been shouldering their duty in a satisfactory manner, yet it is an important matter for the scholars, thinkers and writers to positively contribute to combating the deviant ideology'. Life returned to normal to the town of Al-Rass, 300 kilometers north of Riyadh, where security forces fought a pitched battle with terrorists killing 14 and arresting a number of them in a standoff that lasted nearly three days. Power and other services were restored to the neighborhood where the fighting took place and debris removed from the surroundings. Police were looking for unexploded shells they think may have been left over from the fighting but in general the area has been cleared of debris, said Al-Rass Vice Governor Khaled Al-Assaf. Five wounded militants were captured while a sixth surrendered. Fourteen security personnel were wounded Interior Minister Prince Naif said the terrorist group has been dealt a blow but cautioned that more attacks may be carried out by the deviant group. Over the past four days 16 militants have been killed, including three on the Ministry of Interior's list of 26 most wanted terrorists. One of those killed was the Moroccan Abdul Kareem Al-Majati who was suspected of masterminding Al-Qaeda bombings in Casablanca two years ago. Only three militants on the list of 26 remain at large. Prince Naif said he cannot say the battle against militants is over. "I cannot say operations have ended, although members of the deviant group have been weakened. They may still surprise us anywhere in the Kingdom. We will continue to fight them," he said in statements after visiting the site of the fighting in Al-Rass in Qasim region. Prince Naif said the identity of those killed in Al-Rass would be announced after the verification process was completed, adding the ministry would release a statement later confirming the identities of those killed. After a thorough sweep for booby traps and the thunderous reports of detonations from large Al-Qaeda arms caches, residents are beginning to return to the site of what is considered the longest, toughest and bloodiest battle of the war against terrorism in Saudi Arabia. Calm prevailed in the northwestern town of Al-Rass yesterday in the aftermath of Saudi security forces' rout of Al-Qaeda militants last week. Residents of Al-Jawazat District, where the militants holed up for three days, were allowed to return after security forces cleansed the area of explosives. Many families have already returned. Special forces stationed in Al-Rass were scheduled to withdraw y. "I feel things are back to normal," said Suliman Al-Ayed, a resident of Al-Rass. Security forces detonated hand grenades and other explosives left behind by the terrorists in the district. "Three big explosions were heard on Thursday. These were the sound of detonations carried out by the security forces to destroy a large cache of weapons and explosives left behind by the terrorists," Al-Ayed said. The detonations delayed the return of some 1,000 Saudis and expatriates who were evacuated from the area during the siege, security sources said. Col. Muhammad Al-Shahrani, commander of special forces in the Qasim region, said residents were prevented from returning to the area soon after the operation for their own safety as terrorists had booby-trapped houses in the area. Khaled Al-Johani, a resident, said he heard about the operation on Sunday while he was at work, adding that he was concerned about his wife and four small children who were at home at the time of the gun battle. "By the grace of God, I was able to bring them out with the help of security officers. Over the past five days we have been staying with a relative," he said. The signs of fierce combat are evident on a number of pockmarked buildings in the area. Police found a check for SR20 million in a briefcase, SR200,000 in cash, forged number plates and a computer system used for forgery from houses in the area, Al-Madinah newspaper reported. Meanwhile, a military transport plane removed the bodies of terrorists killed in the fighting to Riyadh for forensic examination. These included the bodies of Saud Al-Otaibi and Abdul Kareem Al-Majati, both of whom were on the list of the Kingdom's most wanted terrorists. It was unconfirmed whether Saleh Al-Oufi, the top leader of Al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia, was among those killed in the Al-Rass battle. "Only after DNA analysis can we identify the bodies," said a security source. Three of the bodies were disfigured beyond recognition. Maj. Gen. Marwan Al-Subhi, commander of the special forces, attributed the success of Al-Rass operation to good planning. "Three days was not a long time when we consider factors such as the presence of housing units and schools in the area," he said. Interior Minister Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, who visited Al-Rass, warned the public against sympathizing with terrorists and said such acts will never be tolerated. The Interior Ministry confirmed the death of Saud Al-Otaibi, the leader of Al-Qaeda cell in Saudi Arabia, and Moroccan Abdul Kareem Al-Majati, the No. 4 on the list of 26 most wanted terrorists, in last week's gunbattle in Al-Rass. In a statement, an official source at the ministry said 15 terrorists were shot dead in the three-day gunbattle at Al-Rass, 320 km northwest of Riyadh. The toll went up as security agents found one more body in the area during combing operations. Interior Minister Prince Naif, meanwhile, reiterated the government's resolve to deal with an iron hand those who try to undermine the country's security and urged the remaining terror suspects to surrender. "We insist that we will either live happily or die as martyrs," he told a group of young Saudis. The ministry described Otaibi as "head of the gang" as he took over the leadership of the Al-Qaeda cell after the death last year of Abdul Aziz Al-Muqrin, the No. 1 on the wanted list. Otaibi was responsible for bombings, including the attack on Al-Mohaya housing compound in Riyadh in 2003. "Otaibi was also involved in taking booby-trapped vehicles from Qasim to Riyadh, carrying out attacks on security officers and smuggling weapons into the Kingdom," the official said. Majati came to the Kingdom with his wife and two sons using fake passports, the ministry said. With the support of his son Adam, he kidnapped and killed an expatriate and carried out an attack on patrol police in Al-Ghat. Adam also died in the operation. Other terrorists killed and identified by the ministry were: Hani ibn Abdullah Al-Joaithen, Faisal ibn Muhammad Al-Baidhani, Majed ibn Muhammad Al-Masoud, Fawaz Mufdhi Al-Anazi, Abdul Rahman ibn Abdullah Al-Jarboue, Nawaf Al-Hafi, and Abdussalam ibn Suleiman Al-Khudairy. The ministry named three of the six arrested terrorists as Adel ibn Saad Al-Dhubaiti, Hamad ibn Abdullah Al-Humaidi and Saleh ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Shamsan. The security forces had seized a large cache of weapons and explosives as well as documents and more than SR250,000 in cash from terrorists in the Al-Rass operation. |
|||||
