2 militants die in Saudi shootout

RIYADH: Saudi police killed two suspected militants in Riyadh on Monday who were wanted by the authorities, state television said.

“Two people wanted for security reasons died while riding in their car. They opened fire on police after they refused to stop their car. Police responded, leading to their deaths,” a newscaster said, reading an Interior Ministry statement. It said the incident, which occurred in late afternoon in a street of the capital Riyadh, was part of security force efforts to hunt “errant” sectors of society — a reference to Islamic militants. Six hand grenades, two Kalashnikov rifles and rounds of ammunition, three revolvers and 516,000 riyals ($137,000) were found in the car, state TV said.

Saudi Arabia is battling a wave of militant violence blamed on Saudi-born fugitive Osama Bin Laden’s Al Qaeda network. More than 50 people were killed last year in suicide bomb attacks on expatriate residential compounds in Riyadh. —Reuters

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