Day after, Saudi hunts for Al Qaeda gunmen

Saudi forces hunted on Monday for suspected Al Qaeda militants who killed 22 civilians and took dozens of foreigners hostage in a daring att...

Saudi forces hunted on Monday for suspected Al Qaeda militants who killed 22 civilians and took dozens of foreigners hostage in a daring attack.

Security forces set up checkpoints after three gunmen, using hostages as human shields, escaped Saudi commandos in Khobar on Sunday. All the hostages who had not been killed were freed.

The Interior Ministry said a total of 41 people were held hostage and 201 trapped inside the compound. A Saudi diplomat said nine hostages — including some Westerners — were killed by the terrorists during the stand-off.

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An Internet statement purporting to come from Al Qaeda said Osama bin Laden’s network had carried out the assault and the unprecedented hostage-taking. Saudi King Fahd vowed militant attacks would not shake the kingdom. ‘‘These criminal acts by deviants will only strengthen our resolve to fight terrorism,’’ he said.

‘‘There were pools of blood, blood is everywhere,’’ said a member of the staff at the Oasis compound, adding that freed hostages told him there had been more than four attackers. The hotel where the hostages were held was still sealed off, he said.

Arab residents said the gunmen asked them if they were Muslim or Christian before targeting the Christians.

— Reuters

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