\"Al-Qaeda\" Gunmen Killed in Saudi Arabia

In the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh police have been battling against a group of terrorists suspected of an attempt to blow up the country's biggest oil refinery at Abqaiq.

The gunmen were hiding at a villa in a suburb of Riyadh. Security forces took the house by assault. At least five gunmen were killed in the course of the operation.

Three days ago several Saudi Arabian extremists had been killed by security guards when attempting to stage an act of sabotage at the Abqaiq refinery. At its web-site a Saudi branch of "Al-Qaeda" had promised to take revenge for the death of its militants and carry out new terrorist attacks.

"This was only one of a series of such operations, which Al-Qaeda is conducting against the Crusaders and Jews in order to stop the pillage of Muslim riches", says the terrorists' statement.

Leaders of "Al-Qaeda" have repeatedly threatened Saudi Arabia with similar acts of terror, but the attack against the Abqaiq refinery was their first attempt at making good such threats. Earlier, "Al-Qaeda" terrorists had killed several foreigners working at various Saudi refining facilities.