Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Pair Sought By Saudi Arabia Killed in Iraq: Group | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
Select Page

DUBAI (Reuters) – An Iraqi militant group affiliated to al Qaeda posted an Internet video of two men they said were fighters wanted by Saudi Arabia who were killed while attacking U.S.-led forces in Iraq.

The video, posted by the Mujahideen Council late on Saturday, showed a group of masked militants with rifles, sitting in a room and asking the two men why they had fled Saudi Arabia for Iraq.

“One must engage in jihad in the peninsula (Saudi Arabia) or in Iraq or anywhere there is jihad,” said one of the men, who wore a blue ski cap.

The Mujahideen Council identified the two men in the video by the aliases of Abu Hassan al-Mekki and Abu Nasser al-Chadi and said they were wanted by Saudi Arabia, which has been battling al Qaeda attacks aimed at toppling the pro-U.S. monarchy and expelling Westerners.

Al Arabiya television said the two men were Chadian nationals Manour Youssef Mohammed and Othman Mohammed Hassan — who are among 21 suspects believed to be outside the country from a list of 36 most wanted militants issued by Saudi Arabia last year.

Security analysts believe many of the 21 fugitives have joined insurgents fighting in Iraq. Almost all of 15 wanted men from the list believed to be in Saudi Arabia have been killed or arrested.