| Al Qaida has targeted Saudi officers in wake of the killing of several members of the Islamic insurgency leadership in the kingdom. So far, Al Qaida has shot about 10 Saudi officers over the last week, most of them in the Riyad area. The Al Qaida escalation has alarmed the United States, which has ordered non-essential diplomatic staff out of the kingdom. On Wednesday, Al Qaida insurgents shot dead a Saudi security officer during a shootout near Riyad. Another officer was injured outside Al Uyaynah, about 45 kilometers northwest of Riyad. The security officers were part of the Interior Ministry's Al Mujahadeen special operations unit, which has focused in tracking and battling Al Qaida insurgents. The Mujahadeen unit was supported by a police helicopter during the search for Al Qaida in the mountainous region of Al Uyaynah. |