Saudi forces kill top militant in fierce gunbattle
Moroccan suspected of masterminding Casablanca bombings

Reuters, Updated: 12:20 p.m. ET April 5, 2005

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Saudi forces waging a fierce three-day battle with gunmen have killed a top militant suspected of masterminding al-Qaida bombings in Casablanca, security sources said on Tuesday.

They said Abdulkarim al-Mejjati was one of 10 militants killed in the clashes which broke out on Sunday in Al-Ras, 180 miles northwest of Riyadh, and raged on into Tuesday.

The fighting in Al-Ras was one of the longest and bloodiest confrontations in the kingdom’s two-year crackdown on fighters loyal to Osama bin Laden, and could prove a major setback for al-Qaida’s efforts to undermine the world’s biggest oil exporter.

“This is a monumental breakthrough for Saudi security forces,” said Saudi security consultant Nawaf Obaid. “Not just domestically -- Mejjati was the subject of a major manhunt across Europe.”

I wonder how a battle goes on for three days. Where were the helicopters?