Al-Qaida deaths in Saudi Arabia

SEVEN suspected al-Qaida militants were killed in a shoot-out with security forces in central Saudi Arabia, the Interior Ministry said yesterday. The statement said another militant was taken to hospital in critical condition.

It said a number of security forces were injured and treated before being released from hospital.

An official said earlier that the 35 police had been wounded in the fighting, which began early on Sunday in ar-Rass, 220 miles north-west of the capital, Riyadh.