Britons killed in Saudi shoot-out named

The westerners killed in a gun attack in the Saudi city of Yanbu on Saturday were named today.

Engineering group ABB said those killed were Britons Michael Hardy, 44, and Michael McGillen, 52, Americans Stephen LaGuardia, 62, and Philip Coplen, 53, and Australian Anthony Mason, 57.

A Saudi man also died in the attack. He did not work for ABB and was not identified by the company.

“We are shocked and saddened by the tragic loss of life and injuries sustained by ABB-Lummus employees, and Saudi nationals in this incident,” said Gary Steel, a member of the ABB executive committee.

“We are doing what we can to support their families at this very difficult time.”

Militants sprayed gunfire inside ABB-Lummus offices in Yanbu, killing the six. They tied one of their victims to the bumper of a car and dragged it past horrified high school students. Police later killed the four gunmen in a shoot-out after a car chase.

ABB has said that all its remaining 90 expatriate employees in Yanbu, along with 30 family members, will leave the country in the next few days. Other ABB operations in Saudi Arabia continue but security has been increased.

Staff from ABB-Lummus, which is based in Houston, had been working on a project to extend and revamp an ethylene plant for Exxon Mobil and the Saudi company SABIC. It was due to be completed in September.