Americans Said Among Dead in Saudi Attack

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Americans were among the casualties of an apparent suicide attack Saturday in the northwestern city of Yanbu, a U.S. Embassy official said. Diplomats said two suspected terrorists, including a bomber, were killed.

“Americans are among the victims,” the official said, without providing further details on their condition. The official spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Embassy official said the U.S. consulate in the Red Sea port city of Jiddah was investigating the attack with Saudi authorities. The attack took place in Yanbu, along the Red Sea coast, 220 miles northeast of Jiddah, where some Western oil workers live.

The official said other Westerners were also thought to have been targeted in the attack. Saudi police refused to comment.

Diplomats, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said one of the attackers detonated explosives strapped to his body and the other was killed by police.

Witnesses said police set up checkpoints throughout the city.

One Yanbu resident said by telephone that there had been a suicide bombing in the city, and that police captured several people involved in the attack.

He said the attack killed “a few people,” and that he wasn’t sure of their nationalities. There were no immediate details on other casualties.

The resident, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said some of the Western workers involved in the oil industry in Yanbu were unable to reach their jobs because of the heavy police presence.