We'll get them - Riyadh

The UAE yesterday condemned a suicide bombing that killed at least 17 people and wounded 122 in Riyadh.

In a cable of condolence and solidarity to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, President His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan reiterated the uae's support to all measures taken by Riyadh to safeguard "its security and stability and wipe out terrorist acts targeting it, since the security of Saudi Arabia is an integral part of the GCC."

Sheikh Zayed expressed his and the UAE's profound grief for the victims and said: "We reiterate our condemnation of these criminal and cowardly attacks."

The 17 dead included five children, the Saudi interior ministry said late yesterday. Among the victims were seven Lebanese, four Egyptians, one Saudi and one Sudanese, said a ministry official.

The nationalities of the remaining four fatalities have not yet been determined, he said. He said the death toll rose from the 11 given by the ministry hours earlier after rescue workers found more bodies.

Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, in telephone calls with Arab leaders yesterday, pledged to hunt down terrorists. "We will uproot terrorism and put an end to it and all who stand behind it," he said.

US President George W. Bush assured Crown Prince Abdullah the US stood with his country in the wake of the deadly attack, a White House official said.

US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage who arrived in Riyadh late last night said he believed the blast was the work of "Al Qaida" and that more attacks could be on the way.

The blast - which Saudi officials also said bore the signature of Al Qaida- ripped an avenue of destruction between 200 villas in the residential Muhaya compound.

"The compound, inhabited by various nationalities ... was stormed by armed gunmen dressed as Saudi policemen and a car rigged with explosives was blown up inside the compound," the Saudi Press Agency said.

While inspecting the devastation at the compound, Interior Minister Prince Nayef said: "We will get the perpetrators no matter how long it takes. There is no crime more heinous than this. It took place in the country and against citizens and a place housing Arabs and Muslims...," he said.

Officials said the attackers exchanged fire with guards and there were apparently three explosions. Diplomats reported one big blast about midnight, followed by two smaller ones.

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