3 Frenchmen Killed In Saudi Attack

Three Frenchmen were killed Monday and at least one other was injured when they came under fire while traveling in the Saudi Arabian desert north of Medina, a spokesman for the kingdom's Interior Ministry said.

Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki said the group of French travelers were resting on the side of a road when gunmen fired at their car, instantly killing two of the men. The third man died later after he was taken to a hospital, and the four Frenchman was in serious condition at an area hospital, al-Turki said.

Women and children also were with the group, who were on a road 10.6 miles north of Medina, but they were uninjured. Saudi authorities were investigating the attack, al-Turki said.

"Undoubtedly this is a criminal act, but it's too early to determine their motives and whether it is terrorism," he said.

In France, Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said the French ambassador to Saudi Arabia and counsel general plan to visit the site of the attack and discuss the circumstances of the incident with Saudi authorities.

"I condemn this horrible act. I express my profound sympathy to the family and friends of the victims. French authorities are mobilized along with the Saudi authorities, so that light be shed and that those responsible be detained and punished," Douste-Blazy said in a statement.

The group was traveling in an area mainly restricted for Muslims only because the road where the attack occurred leads to Medina, where the Prophet Muhammad died and was buried. Al-Turki said the French group was probably Muslim pilgrims. But it was possible they were traveling to another ancient site north of Medina where the Saudi government recently started allowing non-Muslims to visit.

Though al-Turki said it was too early to determine if the attacks were terror-related, Saudi Arabia has been waging a heavy campaign against al Qaeda militants since a wave of suicide attacks on foreigners in the kingdom in 2003.