Jeddah, Asharq Al-Awsat- The Saudi authorities are investigating the attempted assassination of Abdulaziz al Shanbari on Wednesday in the city of Taif. No one was injured in the shooting attempt.

Asharq al Awsat spoke to al Shanbari who was shaken from the ordeal. “I was with my family in our farm north of Taif, when my son Abdul Karim fell ill. I took him to Al Udwani hospital on Shahar street. On my way there, I noticed a Japanese car following us but I did not pay it much attention until the driver tried to collide into my car. I managed to evade him. When I stopped in front of the hospital, I was surprised to see the same car again. The driver fired two shoots in our direction and drove off. No one was hurt.”

Calls to Lieutenant Mansour al Turki, Interior Ministry spokesperson, went unanswered. However, security sources told Asharq al Awsat that al Shanbari had informed the police in Taif of the incident and the relevant authorities had immediately launched an investigation into the assassination attempt.

Police discovered the Corolla car used in the attempt on Thursday.

Al Shanbari had left the Kingdom in September 2003 and moved to London where he joined the Harakat al Islah (Reform movement) led by Saad al Faqih. He returned two years later after issuing a public apology and called on his former companions to return to the right path. He admitted that his former views about Saudi Arabia were “misguided”.

Meanwhile, al Faqih said from London, “I do not have any information about the incident.”