Explosion of a Parked Car in Riyadh - 2003-12-30

In Saudi Arabia, government officials report that a parked car exploded on the street in Riyadh, but no one was harmed. It is still unclear whether this explosion was due to a bombing of the car. Saudi television quoted a civil defense official stating that the explosion in Riyadh did not result in injuries or damage to buildings. The occurrence of this explosion in a residential neighborhood of Riyadh comes a day after the British government warned that terrorists might be in the final stages of planning attacks in Saudi Arabia. Western diplomats in Saudi Arabia say that Islamic militants with ties to Al-Qaeda may be attempting to destabilize the Saudi government by assassinating senior security officials. They expressed this view a day after an explosion destroyed the car of a security official in Riyadh. According to diplomats, this official, who was unharmed, was a military officer serving as a captain in the Ministry of Security. The New York Times reports that earlier this month, a senior member of the Ministry of Security was also the target of a failed assassination attempt. Saudi security forces have been engaged in suppressing suspected extremists since suicide bombings killed over 50 people. Meanwhile, the United States has also warned its citizens that there may be terrorist operations carried out in Saudi Arabia.