Bomb or no bomb?

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - Saudi security forces defused a bomb in a telephone booth in a Riyadh neighborhood that has seen several confrontations between police and alleged terrorists, a security official said Monday.

But an Interior Ministry official who declined to be named gave a different version of the incident, saying it involved a bomb training device that did not contain any explosives.

The different versions could not be immediately reconciled.

The security official said on condition of anonymity that a man found the bomb in the telephone booth next to a gas station on Sultana Street, a main thoroughfare in eastern Riyadh.

Sultana Street passes through the ultraconservative district, scene of several confrontations between police and alleged terrorists. In December, gunmen fired on police who were closing in on them. One of the country's most wanted men, Ibrahim al-Rayes, and another suspected terrorist were killed in the clash.

The attacks on May 12 and Nov. 8 targeted housing compounds for foreigners. Saudi and U.S. officials blamed Saudi exile Osama bin Laden (website - news - bio) 's al-Qaida (website - news) terror network.

Saudi Arabia (website - news) came under intense pressure after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on the United States, which were carried out by 19 plane hijackers, 15 of whom were Saudis.

Saudi authorities have detained hundreds of people in a crackdown on alleged militants and urged wanted persons to surrender. Since the May 12 attack, the Interior Ministry has substantially bolstered security around embassies, government buildings and foreigners' housing complexes.

Both the United States and Britain warned last month there could be further attacks.



Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press.