July 29, 2003	Tuesday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 28, 1424

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RIYADH, July 28: Six extremists and two Saudi security officials were killed on Monday morning in a shootout in the Al-Qassim region in central Saudi Arabia. An interior ministry spokesperson quoted by the official Saudi Press Agency said: “Saudi security men encircled today a farm located in Gadhi town, in Oyoon Al-Jawaa governorate in Al-Qassim region, after receiving information that some wanted persons are residing in this farm house.”

Children and women were evacuated from the place and moved to a secured place, before the shootout started between the extremists holed up in the farm and the Saudi security forces.

“The security forces asked the culprits to surrender but they refused and fired on the security men intensively, using hand grenades. In the shoot out six of the culprits and two security personnel, eight others also sustained minor injuries. Four persons who had harboured the culprits at their house inside the farm were also arrested.

This incident happened almost a week after the Saudi authorities had announced arresting 16 people and confiscating a large amount of explosives in raids.