JEDDAH, 21 February 2003 — The doctors and nurses who were traveling on a bus which came under gunfire by an unidentified gunman on Tuesday night in the northern city of Hail have said that they are still trying to get over their shock.
“The attack was really shocking for me and my colleagues,” said Dr. Abeer, a dentist at Rayyan Al-Sharq Polyclinic in Hail, who was on the bus when the attack took place.
The bus was carrying 14 doctors and nurses, mostly Filipinos and Egyptians, and the gunmen opened fire when they were heading to their housing compound after completing their duty hours at midnight.
Hail Governor Prince Saud ibn Abdul Mohsen said the incident took place in Sadyan District at 12.30 a.m. Nobody was injured.
“When the bus reached Sadyan, the driver saw a car drawing alongside us. There were three others in the car in addition to the driver,” Fareehan Al-Shammary, director of the clinic, told Arab News.
The driver of the car then opened fire at the back of the minibus shattering its rear window. The windows were shaded and it was not possible for the passengers to identify the attacker, Shammary said, adding that the man opened fire at the bus without appearing to target any particular individual.
Two Filipino nurses and an Egyptian doctor had a lucky escape as they were sitting close to where the bullet hit.
Dr. Emad Baqtar, a doctor who was on the bus with his two sons, told Okaz that he was unable to find an explanation for the attack. “None of us had received any threat from anyone,” Baqtar said.
According to Shammary, the gun attack might have been an accident.
Shammary thanked God for saving his personnel from possible deaths and injuries.
“It could have killed some of the passengers on the bus,” he added.
“We’re not accusing anyone of the attack because we don’t have any enemies,” he said.
Shammary expressed confidence that Saudi security officers would soon arrest the culprits.
