Two killed in Saudi shoot-out

Saudi security forces killed two militants and wounded three others in a gunbattle in the Saudi capital Riyadh last night.

The gunfight, in which three members of the security forces were wounded, erupted when security forces came under “heavy fire” from hand grenades and rocket-propelled grenades while inspecting a house suspected of being used by militants, the interior ministry said.

The security forces returned fire, killing two militants and wounding three.

Another group of militants fired on policemen engaging the first group of militants in an attempt to distract members of the security forces, a ministry official said.

The identities of the militants killed or wounded were not disclosed but the Saudi Interior Ministry official said authorities were holding the wife and three children of Saleh Mohammed al-Aoofi.

The report was a strong indication that the authorities may have been after al-Aoofi, who is believed to be al-Qaida chief in Saudi Arabia.

The pan-Arab satellite news station al-Jazeera reported that al-Aoofi may be among the dead or wounded militants.