Saudi police have killed a top spiritual guide for the Saudi wing of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network during a shootout in Riyadh.
They named the slain militant as Abdullah al-Roshood, who was on a list of 26 most wanted suspects, and said his death was a serious blow to the ideological hierarchy of al-Qaeda.
The Interior Ministry said a policeman was also killed in the gun battle yesterday in the first militant violence since Saudi forces killed the leader of al-Qaeda in the kingdom 12 days ago. Saudi Arabia has been battling militants trying to topple the country's pro-US monarchy for more than a year.
The ministry statement said six more policemen - and three passers-by - were wounded.
The ministry statement said the afternoon gun battle broke out after police spotted a group of militants leaving a house carrying weapons. A chase ensued and police were still tracking down a number of other suspects. "A police search of the militant's den showed that it was a factory for explosives," it added.
Roshood was one of four top ideologues for the al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia, security sources said, adding that he had been in hiding for over a year.
At least 85 policemen and civilians, many of them foreigners, have been killed in the shootings and suicide bombings blamed on al-Qaeda.
Last week, Saudi de facto ruler Crown Prince Abdullah announced a limited government amnesty for militants who surrender. Official said the families of their victims could still press for punishment. Al-Qaeda denounced the amnesty and said it was doomed to fail.