Saudi Arabia executes Chadians convicted of al-Qaeda-linked killings

According to NAN, Saudi Arabia authorities on Thursday executed two Chadian men convicted of joining an al-Qaeda-linked group that targeted foreigners.

The Interior Ministry said in Riyadh they were beheaded in the western Saudi city of Jeddah, after being convicted of shooting dead a French national and attempting to kill non-Muslim foreigners in the kingdom in 2004.

The ministry identified the executed as Issa-Saleh Hassan and Ishaq-Issa Shakila.

In the early 2000s, Saudi Arabia saw a spate of attacks by al-Qaeda militants targeting Western nationals and facilities.

In recent months, the al-Qaeda-splinter militia, Islamic State, has claimed responsibility for a string of attacks on mosques of the Shiite minority in Saudi Arabia.

The executions bring to 109, the number of people beheaded by Saudi authorities so in 2015 as 83 people, mostly drug offenders, were executed in 2014.

Saudi Arabia still has death penalty for murder, armed robbery, banditry, rape, drug-trafficking and witchcraft. (dpa/NAN)

FHO/KUA