Ten Americans killed in Saudi explosion

Ten Americans were killed in terrorist attacks on three residential compounds in the Saudi Arabian capital overnight, the US Secretary of State said today.

Colin Powell said there had also been “large loss of life of others” in the Riyadh bombings.

He spoke after holding talks with US Ambassador Robert Jordan after arriving in Saudi from the Jordanian capital Amman.

“Terrorism strikes everywhere and everyone,” Powell said. “It is a threat to the civilised world.”

The secretary of state was greeted on his arrival by Prince Saud, the Saudi foreign minister, who expressed his sorrow and vowed to co-operate with the United States in its fight against terrorism.

“These things happen everywhere,” Saud said.