Police check sparks Saudi gunfight

Shooting erupted in the Saudi capital Riyadh after a police patrol tried to stop a car, the Ministry of Interior said today.

No one was hurt and no arrests were immediately reported, it said in a statement.

It was not clear whether yesterday’s incident was linked to a crackdown on militants launched after the May 12 suicide bombings in Riyadh killed 26 people.

The ministry said a driver fled in his car when police tried to stop him along a main road in Riyadh. Such traffic checks have become routine since May 12.

The driver later stopped at a rest stop where two other cars appeared. Several people emerged from the other cars and started shooting, the ministry said.

The Saudi newspaper Al-Jazira, quoting “security sources,” said between eight to 10 suspects were involved and that weapons, explosives, personal belongings and ID cards were found at the rest stop after the shooting.