Cyber Monday Deal: Up to 60% off InvestingProCLAIM SALE

Saudi court hands death sentence to man convicted of 2004 attack on Swiss firm

Published 24/05/2016, 10:36
© Reuters. SAUDI FIREFIGHTERS EXTINGUISH CAR OF SUSPECTED MILITANTS AFTER ATTACK IN YANBU.

RIYADH (Reuters) - A man has been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for killing six Westerners and a Saudi soldier in an al Qaeda attack in the city of Yanbu in 2004, local media reported on Tuesday.

The shooting at Swiss engineering firm ABB Lummus Global and a subsequent police chase killed two Americans, two Britons, one Canadian, one Australian and one Saudi. Three of the four attackers also died.

Reports in the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat and other media did not name the man but said he had assisted in the assault in Yanbu, an oil and petrochemicals hub on the Red Sea.

At the time, the only surviving attacker was named as Saudi national Mustafa al-Ansari. The other three were all members of the same family.

Reuters could not immediately contact the kingdom's Justice Ministry spokesman for comment on the case.

Al Qaeda carried out a campaign of shootings and bombings against Western and state targets in the kingdom from 2003-2006, killing hundreds of people.

Saudi Arabia subsequently stamped out the insurgency and has since sentenced hundreds of convicted militants to prison terms or death. It executed dozens of them on January 2.

Human rights groups say Saudi Arabia's justice system is flawed and that its campaign against Islamist militants has also been used to suppress peaceful dissent.

Saudi Arabia says its legal system is fair and independent.

© Reuters. SAUDI FIREFIGHTERS EXTINGUISH CAR OF SUSPECTED MILITANTS AFTER ATTACK IN YANBU.

Since 2014, al Qaeda's ideological rival Islamic State has been staging attacks in the kingdom, killing dozens, resulting in hundreds of arrests.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.