Bin Laden letter on suspect body
A letter allegedly sent from al-Qaeda mastermind Osama Bin Laden has been found on a suspect killed by Saudi Arabia security forces.
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| Youssef Saleh Fahd Al Ayeeri was one of 19 terror suspects |
The blood stained letter found on the body of Youssef Saleh Fahd Al Ayeeri, was signed by Bin Laden himself and dated six months ago.
Al Watan newspaper reported Ayeeri, a suspect of the Riyadh bombings, was one of 19 men Saudi authorities have been hunting since they uncovered a secret cell belonging to al- Qaeda’s network.
The letter was addressed to a person whose name was covered in blood and could not be identified.
In the letter Bin Laden sent his congratulations on Eid al-Fitr– the Muslim feast that follows the fasting month of Ramadan – and noted the “achievements of the cell”.
Two Saudi security officers were killed and at least two others wounded in the shootout with Ayeeri. A second gunman was later arrested.
The newspaper reported that Ayeeri had a belt of explosives strapped to his body.
On 7 May Saudi officials announced they had uncovered a cell that planned to carry out a major attack within the country.
That announcement came five days before the triple bombings in Riyadh where 35 people were killed, including nine attackers.
Bin Laden is accused of masterminding the attacks of 11 September in the United States in 2001.