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Faqih
said Dandani was killed in shootout with Saudi forces
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RIYADH,
July 3 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Saudi authorities
announced Thursday, July 3, that a key suspect in the May 12 Riyadh
bombings blew himself when cornered by security forces in the north of
the country but an exiled opposition leader repudiated the report.
Turki
Nasser al-Dandani killed himself in Jawf province, the Saudi source
told Agence France-Presse (AFP), adding that three of Dandani's
followers were also killed in the explosion.
Arabiya
satellite television said Dandani had used a hand grenade to kill
himself and two other suspects after their safe house was surrounded
by police.
However,
a Saudi opposition leader told Al-Jazeera TV channel, over the phone
from London, that Dandani was shot dead in clashes with Saudi forces
who stormed a mosque during the manhunt.
Saad
Al-Faqih,
head of the London-based Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia (MIRA),
said the Saudi police was tipped off that Dandani was inside
al-Khashim mosque in Jawf province.
Massive
security troops rush to the place, cordoned off the mosque, starting
shooting at the site and asked Dandani to surrender, he added,
asserting Dandani shunned the demand and asked the security forces to
respect the sanctity of the mosque.
With
incessant firing at the mosque by the security forces, Dandani emerged
out alone with a machinegun in his hand, said Faqih, adding he killed
one policeman before being gunned down with several others.
The
Saudi opposition leader denied Dandani had any links to the triple
blasts, adding the Saudi government tried to link him to the
bombings "just to give the impression it succeeded in hunting
down the perpetrators of the attacks," in which nine Americans
were killed.
Dandani
had topped a list of 19 suspects wanted by Saudi authorities just days
before the bombings.
He
had traveled to Afghanistan two years ago and returned five months
later, his brother Saud told Okaz newspaper.
His
70-year-old mother, Eida Raji Saleh al-Balhoud, last week urged her
27-year-old son to hand himself in.
"I
appeal to Turki to give himself up like Ghamdi did ... If you want to
see me happy and satisfied, please hurry up and turn yourself in. They
will reach you sooner or later," she said.
Dandani's
death comes a week after alleged mastermind of the Riyadh bombings,
Ali Abdulrahman al-Ghamdi, reported gave
himself up to Saudi authorities.
Ali
Ahmed, of the Washington-based Saudi Research Center, charged the
reported surrender of Ghamdi might be an attempt by the authorities to
deceive or lure his group colleagues to do the same.
Saudi
Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz said the security forces
had arrested 124 suspects since early May.
He
also said 50 people suspected of links to the bombings have been
arrested, including seven women.
