British and other western workers were fleeing a petro-chemical plant in Saudi Arabia on Sunday after a chilling attack in which gunmen burst into an office, sprayed it with gunfire, then tied a body to a car bumper and dragged it along in front of school pupils.
Two Britons were among six people killed in the attack in the Red Sea town of Yanba on Saturday.
Four militants, believed to be brothers, were killed by police after a car chase following the raid, which has been blamed on terrorists inspired by Osama bin Laden, who wants the Saudi regime over thrown. On Sunday night the United States embassy restricted its staff’s movements and reminded 35 000 Americans working in the kingdom of advice last month warning them to pack up and leave, and told them in the meantime to keep a very low profile.
The westerners killed were among 70 who worked for the Swiss oil company ABB Lummus. Two Americans, one Australian and a Saudi national guardsman died, and at least 25 people were injured. A source said three of the dead were top executives, another said the attackers were employees of the firm.
During the rampage the terrorists fired at a McDonald’s and a western-owned hotel, and threw a pipe bomb at an international school.
In London the foreign secretary, Jack Straw, said: ”The perpetrators of this atrocious attack clearly have no respect for innocent lives. We cannot let the terrorists succeed.”
But if driving western workers out was part of the terrorists’ aim, last night they appeared to have won a partial victory. More than 100 western workers from the petrochemical plant and their families were being evacuated. The group leaving included Americans, Britons, Australians, Indians and Filipinos.
ABB spokesperson Bjorn Edlund said: ”They were asked if they wanted to stay with stricter security in place or whether they wanted to leave.
”They wanted to leave. It may be that the project will be put on hold for a little while.”
Edlund said the attack had left the workers feeling desperate. ”You cannot imagine what they feel. You go to work and there is a terror attack on five of your colleagues. It is terrible.”
The militants drove a car with a body attached to the back bumper past pupils sitting in class, firing into the air to attract their attention.
They told the children to go to Iraq and fight Americans. According to one of the school’s teachers they shouted: ”God is great! God is great! Come join your brothers in Falluja.”
Pointing to the bloodied corpse, his clothes shredded, they screamed in Arabic: ”This is the president of America. Look how we are dragging this American. Go and inform the government about what you have just seen.”
An 18-year-old student, Rayyan, said he had seen three bearded men in the car: ”I was shocked and terrified when I saw them. I just froze.
”I could not eat and I couldn’t sleep the whole night. I have been having nightmares.
”This thing has changed my life forever. This is not right. This is un-Islamic.”
In Stoke-on-Trent, where one victim, Michael McGillen, was from, his partner Linda Shepherd (56) was said to be devastated by his death.
In the town’s Jubilee working men’s club near McGillen’s home, one person paid tribute: ”He was a great bloke who did a lot of charity work.
”Everyone in here thought the world of him and he was loved by us all.” The second Briton is yet to be named. One attacker was reported to be Abdullah Saud Abu-Nayan al-Sobaie, the country’s 10th most wanted terrorist, Saudi police said.
Three of the gunmen worked at the ABB Lummus office in Yanbu. They used their key cards to enter the building and smuggle another attacker through an emergency gate, according to an interior ministry source.
The four attackers are brothers and are Saudis, a security official said. If true this is at odds with Crown Prince Abdullah’s view: he blamed ”foreign elements”.
The Saudi economy and its oil industry would be badly affected if Americans and other foreigners decided to flee. Britain’s Foreign Office urged against all but essential travel to Saudi Arabia.
Crown Prince Abdullah, speaking on Saudi television, vowed: ”The kingdom will eliminate terrorism no matter how long it takes.”
This weekend’s attack is the latest manifestation of terrorism which Saudi rulers had claimed did not exist. Last month a suicide bombing of a Saudi security building in Riyadh killed four people.
Last May two Britons were among more than 30 killed by bombs in housing compounds for foreigners in the Saudi capital. – Guardian Unlimited Â