Authorities Warn Foreigners May Be Targets of Attacks

Thursday, 08 March 2007
By Sabria S Jawhar
The Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH
Saudi authorities have warned foreign embassies that a group blamed for last month’s killing of four French nationals could strike again.

According to General Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior, the warning was issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.


“The warning was sent to all diplomatic envoys in the Kingdom with no exceptions,” Al-Turki told The Saudi Gazette. “They were told to warn their citizens and to urge them to exercise caution when they go out.”
Diplomats took the warning seriously.

“Saudi authorities officially notified us on Tuesday that the group could attack again and urged foreigners to avoid traveling outside cities,” a Western diplomat said.

Some French residents in Riyadh said they received text messages on Tuesday from their embassy informing them of the Saudi warning.

“We reacted immediately by informing our nationals of the warning, which urged foreigners in general to be cautious and to call police as soon as they notice that they are being monitored,” French embassy spokesman Alain Guepratte said.

According to Al-Turki, “When the crime took place, we found ourselves face-to-face with an unknown group that killed and threatened to kill more, so there was an urgent need for exercising extreme caution in rural areas or outside of cities. We have two suspects who are still on the loose. So, until further notification, everyone should be cautious.”

On Tuesday, Saudi officials announced that they had arrested some suspects in the killing of the four French nationals and gave 24 hours to two Saudi nationals to turn themselves in.

That deadline passed Wednesday morning with no sign of the two suspects, Abdallah Sayer Al-Mohammadi, 23, and Nasser Bin-Latif Al-Balawi, 24.

According to Arabic daily newspaper Al-Madina, authorities identified the two suspects through fingerprints found at the crime scene.

Although details are sketchy, police have released some information on the suspects.

Both men reside in the Al-Jarf District of Madina and both are unmarried. Al-Mohammadi has an elementary school education. He served as a soldier in an unnamed branch of the military for a year-and-a-half before leaving that position. He is not believed to have worked since then.

Al-Balawi is believed to have a minimal education and no job, as well. He has been arrested twice for theft, and those who know him say that he has not been seen for several months.

Authorities said that he travels frequently between Madina and Al-Ula, some 400 km north of the holy city, and is said to have extensive knowledge of the mountainous desert terrain between the two cities.