Raid Qusti, Arab News Staff

RIYADH, 16 March 2004 — Two of Saudi Arabia’s most wanted terror suspects were shot dead yesterday in a shootout with police forces.

The shootout took place in the Naseem district in south Riyadh at 5 p.m., according to the Saudi Press Agency.

Sources told Arab News the suspects were riding in an olive-green 98 Nissan Patrol. Police patrol cars chased the Nissan through the streets of Naseem after the suspects refused to stop at a checkpoint. The suspects then began shooting at the officers, who returned fire.

The gunfight took place near the intersection of Abdulrahman ibn Ouf and Ahmed ibn Hanbal streets.

Six hand grenades, two Kalashnikovs, ten magazines, three 9-mm guns, as well as SR516,000 in cash were later found in the suspects’ car.

Police cars were riddled with bullets, but no police or Special Forces officer was injured.

One of the suspects was identified as Khaled Ali Haj, a Yemeni national and one of the 26 most wanted terror suspects posted last November. The second man was believed to be Abdul Rahman Muhammad Yazji.

Some 50 units from the Criminal Investigation Department, the Special Forces, local police and Saudi Intelligence as well as several units from the Civil Defense crowded the area.

Several ambulances also rushed to the scene, eyewitnesses said.

Police cordoned off an area stretching all the way to King Fahd Road.

This was the first time this year police shot dead wanted suspects in a residential neighborhood.

The deaths of the two suspects have reduced to 21 the number of suspects on the list who are still at large.

The Interior Ministry posted rewards between SR1 million and SR7 million for information leading to the capture of suspects.

A week after posting the reward, security forces received a tip-off from a citizen that led to the killing of Ibrahim Rayyes near a gas station, also in the Naseem district which has been the scene of a string of gunbattles between police and militants.

Several weeks later, another terror suspect, Mansoor Muhammad Faqeeh, surrendered to authorities.

Last month, police found the grave of terror suspect Amir Al-Shehri along the Riyadh-Kharj road. He had survived a shootout with security forces but later succumbed to his injuries.