Hostage crisis ends; 22 are dead

Only one of the four Al-Quaida militant attackers was captured.
KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- Helicopter-borne Saudi commandos drove Al-Qaida militants from an expatriate housing complex in the kingdom's oil hub Sunday, ending a shooting and hostage-taking spree that left 22 dead -- most of them foreigners.
At least one American was killed in the worst terror attack on Saudi soil in a year and the second this month to target its oil industry. A statement Sunday attributed to Al-Qaida's chief in the Saudi region said the violence aimed to punish the kingdom for its oil dealings with the United States and to drive "crusaders" from "the land of Islam."
The 25-hour rampage started Saturday morning when militants dressed in military-style uniforms opened fire inside two oil industry office compounds in the Gulf city of Khobar and engaged in a shootout with Saudi guards. They then moved up the street to the Oasis, an upscale resort and residence with apartments, villas and hotels, where they took 45-60 hostages.
Saudi security stormed the building early Sunday morning after they found out that the hostages were being harmed, said Jamal Khashoggi, an adviser to Saudi Arabia's embassy in London.
"Intervention then became necessary," he said.
The commandos freed 41 hostages, the Saudi Interior Ministry said.
The Saudi ambassador to Britain, Turki al-Faisal, told the BBC that the bodies of nine hostages had been found on the premises when forces went in.
Three militants escape
Only one of the four attackers was captured and the others escaped, but the Interior Ministry said the arrested militant, who was wounded, was the ringleader of the assault and "an important target." One of the fugitives also was wounded.
In Washington, a spokesman for the Saudi Embassy, Nail al-Jubeir, told CNN that one militant also was killed in the standoff with Saudi forces.
"The intent [of the attack] was to cripple the world economy by sending the message that foreigners are not safe inside Saudi Arabia," he said, but dismissed any notion that the kingdom cannot protect its people.
"It does not take much to come into a building with a rifle and shoot innocent people," he said, comparing the attack to a drive-by shooting. "Unfortunately it is very difficult to guard against."
The attack marks a fresh challenge to efforts by the kingdom to crack down on Islamic militants.
There also were concerns the attack could drive up oil prices, already at new highs in part because of fears the world's largest oil producer is unable to protect itself from terrorism.
U.S. tells citizens to leave
The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia reiterated a call to its citizens to leave the kingdom. Britain's Foreign Office said on its Web site that it fears further terror attacks "may be in the final stages of preparation" in Saudi Arabia and warned against all but essential travel.
Most of the dead were among the 6 million expatriate workers the kingdom relies on to run its oil industry and other sectors. They included: eight Indians, three Filipinos, three Saudis, two Sri Lankans, an American, a Briton, an Italian, a Swede, a South African and a 10-year-old Egyptian boy, according to the Interior Ministry statement read on Saudi television.
Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.