Al Anbar
13-10-2004, 22:04
Al Arabiyah Television
In a statement posted on several websites known to be associated with al-Qaida, including one deemed to be the main website for what was formally known as al-Qaida in the Arabian Penninsula, which was now named 'al-Qaida Freedom Squadrons of Al Anbar', posted a claim that they had attacked four Al Anbar targets throughout Saudi Arabia.
The statement declared that these attacks were the first attacks in a series of attacks that will "liberate the people currently ruled by the Godless Hussein." A reference to the socialist and secularist ruler of Al Anbar - President Saddam Hussein.
The targets outlined in the attack were the King Khalid Military City, a former Saudi Army military barracks which was now serving the troops of the new Saudi Army and Al Anbar's forces in the country. The second attack was said to be at a military barracks outside of Riyadh, a third is supposedly to have taken place at the Ministry of Defence, in downtown Riyadh. And the last is said to have occured in the coastal city of Jeddah, at a police station.
The statement said that the attacks were all "martyrdom operations" conducted by "brave God-faring Muslims, wishing to free their homeland from the evil secularists."
We cannot confirm these assertions and the government of Saudi Arabia and Al Anbar have not responded to attempts at communications. We can, however, confirm that there were two massive explosions that rocked Riyadh, according to our correspondent in the city.
Abdul Rahman al-Sulaiymah, head of the al-Arabiya department in Riyadh, explained that he and his staff had heard small arms fire and then within seconds a massive explosion, with a large ball of fire emerging from the centre of Riyadh. Ambulances, police, and the army, both Al Anbar's military and the Saudi Army, came out in the streets in force after that. A curfew has been declared and no one is allowed to leave their houses.
Approximately, thirty minutes later, we heard a second explosion, in the far distance, to the south of Riyadh. This prompted further military units to be deployed into the streets of Riyadh, with tanks and APCs.
In a statement posted on several websites known to be associated with al-Qaida, including one deemed to be the main website for what was formally known as al-Qaida in the Arabian Penninsula, which was now named 'al-Qaida Freedom Squadrons of Al Anbar', posted a claim that they had attacked four Al Anbar targets throughout Saudi Arabia.
The statement declared that these attacks were the first attacks in a series of attacks that will "liberate the people currently ruled by the Godless Hussein." A reference to the socialist and secularist ruler of Al Anbar - President Saddam Hussein.
The targets outlined in the attack were the King Khalid Military City, a former Saudi Army military barracks which was now serving the troops of the new Saudi Army and Al Anbar's forces in the country. The second attack was said to be at a military barracks outside of Riyadh, a third is supposedly to have taken place at the Ministry of Defence, in downtown Riyadh. And the last is said to have occured in the coastal city of Jeddah, at a police station.
The statement said that the attacks were all "martyrdom operations" conducted by "brave God-faring Muslims, wishing to free their homeland from the evil secularists."
We cannot confirm these assertions and the government of Saudi Arabia and Al Anbar have not responded to attempts at communications. We can, however, confirm that there were two massive explosions that rocked Riyadh, according to our correspondent in the city.
Abdul Rahman al-Sulaiymah, head of the al-Arabiya department in Riyadh, explained that he and his staff had heard small arms fire and then within seconds a massive explosion, with a large ball of fire emerging from the centre of Riyadh. Ambulances, police, and the army, both Al Anbar's military and the Saudi Army, came out in the streets in force after that. A curfew has been declared and no one is allowed to leave their houses.
Approximately, thirty minutes later, we heard a second explosion, in the far distance, to the south of Riyadh. This prompted further military units to be deployed into the streets of Riyadh, with tanks and APCs.