Gunmen attack Saudi complex, kill at least 10, take hostages

The deadly assault was the second this month against the Saudi oil industry.
KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- Suspected Islamic militants wearing military-style uniforms sprayed gunfire inside two office compounds in the heart of the Saudi oil production region Saturday, killing at least 10 people -- including an American -- before taking dozens of hostages at a luxury expatriate resort.
Saudi security forces stormed the walled Oasis Residential Resorts complex and surrounded the attackers on the sixth floor of a high-rise building, a police officer told The Associated Press. Security officials said between 45 and 60 people were being held hostage, mostly Westerners including Americans and Italians.
Statements posted on Islamic Web sites claimed the attack in the name of the Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Brigade. One statement was signed the "Al-Qaida in the Arab Peninsula." It said the attacks targeted U.S. companies and that a number of "crusaders" had been killed.
Ambassador's comments
Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, Prince Bandar, called the attack "a cowardly and despicable act of murder."
"These terrorists have no respect for human life and no regard for the principles of Islam," he said in a written statement.
The attack was the second deadly assault this month against the Saudi oil industry and came amid oil prices driven to new highs partly by fears that the Saudi kingdom -- the world's largest oil producer -- is unable to protect itself from terrorists.
Osama bin Laden, blamed for past terror attacks in Saudi Arabia, has vowed to destabilize the oil industry and undermine the kingdom for its close ties to the United States.
British and Filipino citizens were reportedly also among those killed in the shooting rampage, as well as Saudi guards and a 10-year-old Egyptian boy whose father works for an oil company. The kingdom's Crown Prince Abdullah said about 10 Saudis and foreigners were killed.
When attack began
The attack started Saturday morning in the city of Khobar, 250 miles northeast of Riyadh near the Persian Gulf coast, where the suspected militants stormed two oil industry compounds housing offices and employee apartments.
Guards at the compounds said four gunmen wearing military-style dress opened fire and engaged in a shootout with Saudi security forces before fleeing up the street to the Oasis, a vast complex containing apartments and hotels.
Journalists were turned away from the compounds and kept back from the Oasis, where hundreds of Saudi security forces were trying to capture or kill the militants. Saudi forces had fired shots inside the compound, officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
According to Oasis residents and an employee, the militants asked questions when they arrived that indicated they were trying to separate Muslims from non-Muslims. Islamic militants have been criticized in the Arab world for previous attacks in which Saudis and other Arabs were killed.
Lebanon's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Chammat, told The Associated Press that five Lebanese hostages had been released.
One of the targeted oil industry compounds contains offices and apartments for the Arab Petroleum Investment Corporation, or Apicorp, and the other houses offices of various international firms.
A civilian car had slammed into a sign outside the Apicorp compound, and there was a burned car at the entrance and glass shards on the ground.
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