Saudi Arabia vows to hit militants with iron fist

SAUDI Arabia vowed yesterday to strike with an iron fist at militants who attacked a Saudi Arabian petrochemical site and pledged every effort to protect foreigners, five of whom died in the shooting spree.

"The Saudi leadership and people affirm their determination to strike with an iron fist in fighting this deviant group to uproot this wicked disease," Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said.

No group has claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack in the energy hub of Yanbu, which killed two Americans, two Britons and an Australian. The gunmen dragged the corpse of one American through the streets, but were later shot dead by police. Two Saudi security men were also killed and 20 were wounded in clashes with militants.

Asked to comment on remarks by Crown Prince Abdullah that "Zionist enemies" were involved, Prince Saud said the attackers' aim to shake the kingdom's stability fed into a "Zionist campaign" against the monarchy, in reference to Israel and its supporters in the US.

Riyadh has blamed right-wing US groups, backed by Israeli supporters, for a campaign accusing the kingdom of backing and financing terrorism, after the September, 2001, attacks in which 15 of the hijackers were Saudis. Ties between Washington and Riyadh, a decade-long ally, have been strained since then.

Interior Minister Prince Nayef said he believes Saudi-born Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida was behind the Yanbu killing.

The Interior Ministry has named the attackers as brothers Sami and Samir al-Ansari and their uncles Ayman and Mustafa al-Ansari, all Saudis. It said three of them worked on the energy site.

ABB Lummus, targeted in Saturday's attack, said it was evacuating all 90 foreign staff from Yanbu.