2004 Khobar massacre
| 2004 Khobar Massacre | |
|---|---|
| Location | Khobar, Saudi Arabia |
| Date | 29–30 May 2004 6:45 am – 6:30 am (UTC+3) |
Attack type | Hostage crisis, mass murder, Terrorism |
| Deaths | 22 |
| Injured | 25 |
| Perpetrators | The Jerusalem Squadron, Al-Qaeda |
On 29 May 2004, a Saturday, four men armed with guns and bombs attacked two oil industry installations and a residential compound, in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia—the hub of the Saudi oil industry. Over approximately 25 hours, the gunmen, describing themselves as members of "The Jerusalem Squadron" or "Jerusalem Brigade", killed 22 and injured 25, mainly third country national personnel working in Khobar.
Their targets were the Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation building and the Al-Khobar Petroleum Centre, and a foreign workers' housing complex, the Oasis Compound, in the Gulf city of Khobar. Their victims included 19 foreigners from nine countries—eight people from India, three from the Philippines, two from Sri Lanka, one each from Sweden, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, South Africa and Egypt. According to witnesses the attackers asked the hostages if they were Christian or Muslim, letting the Muslims go with a lecture, and shooting the non-Muslims. One victim was tied to the back of a vehicle and dragged through the street.