Al-Qaida leader killed in Saudi shoot-out

Saudi security forces killed two militants, including one considered al-Qaida’s chief of operations on the Arabian Peninsula, in a shoot-out in the capital, US and Saudi officials said.

The two were killed in eastern Riyadh in an exchange of fire with security forces yesterday afternoon, a Saudi Interior Ministry statement said.

Abu Hazim al-Sha’ir, a Yemeni believed to be around 30, was the senior al-Qaida figure in the region, a US counterterrorism official said. The official said his death represented a “major, very significant blow” to the terror network.

“This guy was involved in ongoing terrorist planning and plotting,” the official added.

The Saudi Interior Ministry identified the dead as Khaled Ali Haj, a Yemeni, and Ibrahim bin Abdul-Aziz bin Mohammed al-Mezeini, a Saudi. According to the US counterterrorism official, Haj is another name used by Abu Hazim.

Haj ranked third on the government’s list of Saudi Arabia’s 26 most wanted militants. The other dead militant’s name was not on the list.

The suspects were riding in a vehicle and refused to stop for a spot identification check by members of the security forces, the Saudi statement said. The suspects began shooting at the security forces, who returned fire, killing the two, the statement said.

Six hand grenades, two AK-47 assault rifles, three 9mm pistols and 516,000 Saudi riyals (around €111,000) in cash were found in the vehicle, the statement said. The security forces took no casualties, it added.

Abu Hazim is believed to have trained in al-Qaida’s Afghan camps in 1999 and later to have served as Osama bin Laden’s bodyguard. Before the September 11 attacks he travelled frequently to the Arabian peninsula, Southeast Asia and Afghanistan.

US officials have also tied him to the May 12 bombings of residential complexes in Riyadh and possibly to some Saudi-based planning of operations targeting the US.

The Saudi government’s list of 26 militants are wanted in connection with Riyadh bombings last year that killed 51 people.

The deputy Saudi interior minister, Ahmed bin Abdul-Aziz, said last month an unspecified number of those on the list are now in custody.

The government is offering a reward of 1 million riyals (around €216,000) for information leading to the arrest of any suspect on the list.

Two militants from the list were killed last year in clashes with the security forces. Only one suspect on the list is known to have surrendered to authorities after it was made public in December.