Summary

NAME: SAUDI SHOOTOUT 2 030405N TAPE: EF05/0296 IN_TIME: 11:26:55:08 DURATION: 00:01:54:11 SOURCES: Al-Ekhbariya DATELINE: ar-Rass, 3 April 2005 RESTRICTIONS: SHOTLIST: 1. Scene where shootout reportedly took place 2. People at scene 3. Various of building where shootout reportedly took place 4. Security cars 5. Building where shootout reportedly took place 6. Schoolgirls who were evacuated from a nearby school 7. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Mohamad Ben Saleh, Regional Education Minister: "I would like to acknowledge a good job by the teacher and the administrations by reassuring the people during that critical and bad time." 8. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Voxpop, Schoolgirl: "They brought us all in a room to protect us from the terrorists." Question: "What would you say to the terrorists?" "God will protect us." Question: "What did you tell the special forces?" "I thanked them a lot." 9. Building where the shootout reportedly took place 10. Car at scene STORYLINE: Security forces reportedly killed three militants in a day long gun battle in northern Saudi Arabia on Sunday, according to the country's satellite television. Al-Ekhbariya television quoted the governor of al-Qassim province, Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdul Aziz, as saying fifteen members of the security forces were wounded in the shootout in the town of ar-Rass, 355 kilometres (260 miles) northwest of the capital Riyadh. Ar-Rass is near Buraydah, a known stronghold of Islamic fundamentalists in the kingdom. In a late night newscast, Al-Ekhbariya said the gun battle was still going on. The governor was reported as saying security forces had killed "three wanted terrorists" and forced their colleagues to flee their hideout to a building that is under construction. Interior Ministry spokesman Brigadier Mansour al-Turki said he could not confirm the casualty figures, but the fight continued. Al-Turki said the security forces had surrounded the building. Schoolgirls were evacuated from a nearby school. The regional education minister, Mohamad Ben Saleh, said the teacher of the school and local authorities had reacted well to the situation.