November 13, 1995
Web posted at: 8:05 a.m. EST (1305 GMT)
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (CNN) -- Officials in Saudi Arabia put the death toll from Monday's explosion in Riyadh at six, including four Americans. As many as 60 others are reported injured.
A U.S. Embassy spokesman in Riyadh said a car bomb in the parking lot outside the training facility was believed to have caused two explosions at around 11:30 a.m. (3:30 a.m. EST, 830 GMT).
Officials in Saudi Arabia indicated the explosion was a deliberate act of terrorism and said authorities were confident of "arresting those who carried out this crime."
Saudi Arabia, U.S. State Department and Pentagon officials told CNN one of the blasts was "massive" and "probably a car bomb." They said the explosion occurred in the parking lot of a three-story building in Riyadh leased by the United States and used by U.S. military and civilian personnel. It was followed by a smaller blast a few minutes later.
Pentagon spokesman Ken Bacon identified the office building as the headquarters of the Office for Program Management of the Saudi Arabian National Guard (OPM-SANG). He said a mix of U.S. military and contract workers worked there in a training capacity. It was not immediately known if the causalities were military or civilian.
Witnesses said the scene was chaotic right after the blast. Bystanders helped to load bleeding casualties into cars to be taken to hospitals. "We are seeing a lot of burns," said a hospital spokesperson in Riyadh. Witnesses said the blast was felt across the city. "A huge explosion shook our building," a Riyadh resident said. "It was like an earthquake." (200K AIFF sound or 200K WAV sound)
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Saudi Arabia was the launching point for the U.S.-led multinational military force that drove Iraq's occupation troops from Kuwait in the 1991 Gulf War. But the U.S. military training mission in Saudi Arabia is unrelated to the troops stationed there in the aftermath of the Gulf War.
![[Imagemap]](/WORLD/images/world_nav.gif)
Copyright © 1995 Cable News Network, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.