Source: Cnn.com

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(CNN) -- DNA tests are being done to determine if the leader of al Qaeda's cell in Saudi Arabia is one of four militants killed Friday, shortly after the beheaded body of American hostage Paul Johnson Jr. was left in a remote area of the capital.

The four were slain after a police chase and gunbattle in Riyadh, Saudi security sources said. Five Saudi security forces were killed.

The sources said Abdel Aziz al-Muqrin -- the top name on the Saudi Interior Ministry's most wanted list -- was killed, along with the second most-wanted suspect, Rakan Muhsin Mohammad Alsaykhan, who allegedly had close ties with the al Qaeda mastermind of the October 2000 bombing of the USS Cole.

The other two killed were Faisal Abdulrahman Abdullah Aldakheel and Bandar Abdulrahman Abdullah Aldakheel, two brothers who were 11th and 20th, respectively, on the Saudi most-wanted list, the security sources said.

At least 10 other "important" suspects from al-Muqrin's terror cell were arrested Friday, the sources said.

Saudi TV broadcast photos it said were of the bodies of al-Muqrin and three other terror suspects.

But a statement published on the Internet and attributed to al Qaeda said "Saudi tyrants" were trying to discourage the mujahideen with "false news" of their leader's death.

While it was not possible to confirm the statement's authenticity, it appeared on the same template used previously to announce Johnson's kidnapping.

"Some satellite networks and news agencies have been broadcasting the false news that Abdel Aziz al-Muqrin, may God protect him, has been killed and we would like to indicate that such claims are made by the Saudi tyrants who aim to discourage the mujahedeen in the Arabic peninsula."

The Web posting promised another statement would be issued.

The Arab network Al-Arabiya first reported al-Muqrin's death. Video from the scene showed police moving people away from a crowded residential area of the capital and sealing off streets, while helicopters flew overhead.

Shortly before the news broke, Adel Al-Jubeir, the foreign affairs adviser to Crown Prince Abdullah, told reporters in Washington that Saudi security forces discovered terrorist suspects fleeing in cars, gave chase and then battled them in central Riyadh.

"There have been firefights. A number of terrorists have been killed," he said. "We believe they are part of the al Qaeda network in the kingdom. We don't know how related they are to the murder of Mr. Johnson."

At the time, he did not mention that al-Muqrin might be among the dead.

'We did everything we could to find him'
More than 15,000 Saudi security forces, working with U.S. forces, combed areas believed to be al Qaeda hubs in recent days, searching about 2,000 locations for Johnson and his captors, Al-Jubeir said.

"We did everything we could to find him. And we are deeply sorry that it was not enough," he said.

Johnson, a 49-year-old Lockheed Martin employee who had worked in the kingdom for the past decade, was kidnapped in Riyadh last Saturday.

Al-Muqrin on Tuesday said they would kill Johnson by Friday if the kingdom did not release al Qaeda prisoners. He also said Westerners should leave the Arabian peninsula.

Johnson's body was found in northern Riyadh soon after an Islamist Web site posted photographs of his decapitated body.


Shortly after his kidnapping, Paul Johnson Jr. was shown in this video posted on a Web site linked to al Qaeda.
U.S. officials said the remains were "definitely" Johnson's. One official said a photograph showing a severed head sitting on the back of a headless body is "very clear."

"As we promised, we the mujahedeen from the Falluja Squadron slaughtered the American hostage Paul Johnson after the deadline we gave to the Saudi tyrants," a statement on the Web site said.

"So he got his fair share from this life and for him to taste a bit of what the Muslims have been suffering from Apache helicopter attacks. They were tortured by its missiles." Johnson worked on Apache helicopters in Saudi Arabia and had lived there for more than a decade.

As news of Johnson's killing spread, U.S. and Saudi officials strongly condemned the killing. Frank Lautenberg -- a Democratic senator from Johnson's home state of New Jersey -- issued a scathing indictment of Saudi Arabia's efforts to combat terrorism.

"The Saudi Arabian government has shown too much patience for these terrorist cells and the ideologies of hate they preach. The United States will no longer tolerate Saudi neglect of the extremists and terrorists who live and thrive in the kingdom," Lautenberg said.

"All further relations with Saudi Arabia must be entirely contingent on the kingdom's progress cracking down, reigning in and snuffing out its terrorist problem. Deeds -- not words -- must be the benchmark of Saudi progress in solving the terrorist problem that threatens its society as much as it threatens our own."

Johnson's killing condemned
Speaking in Seattle, President Bush said: "The murder of Paul shows the evil nature of the enemy we face. ... We must pursue these people and bring them to justice before they hurt other Americans."

Al-Muqrin claimed responsibility for Johnson's kidnapping and the death of another American last Saturday on behalf of a group called the Al Falluja Squadron, which claims to have ties to al Qaeda.


Paul Johnson Jr. and his wife, Noom
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell condemned what he called an "action of barbarism."

"It shows once again what the world is dealing with -- to behead somebody or murder somebody, somebody innocent who was only trying to help," he said. "It will cause us and the Saudis to redouble our efforts to go after the terrorists wherever they are, wherever they hide."

Carol Kalin, the press attaché for the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, said the embassy is strongly encouraging Americans to leave the kingdom.

"In the last couple of weeks, as we've seen events unfold here, we urged those Americans who choose to remain to exercise the utmost caution," Kalin told CNN. "It's tough times over here.

Earlier in the day, Johnson's Thai wife, Noom, tearfully pleaded for his release.

"What can I do for him?" she said. "I want to see him come back to see me. He don't do anything wrong, he nice with the people. I never see him have problem in the 10 year here. Never."

U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia James Oberwetter said after the news of Johnson's murder was confirmed he visited Noom Johnson, whom he said asked that he "express thanks to all of Johnson's friends around the world who are thinking and praying for them and taking action on their behalf," and thanks to Saudi Arabians who helped in the search.

Muslim friends of Johnson -- including some clerics -- had also pleaded for his release. But the militants were not swayed.

"A lot of voices were very loud, expressing their anger for taking a Christian military person as a hostage and killing him while they kept their mouth shut from saying anything supporting those poor Muslims who are in prisons and being tortured by the hands of the cross-believers," the Web site statement said.

"As for the Americans, and most importantly, the unbelievers and the criminals who are fighting Islam, this is a lesson for them to learn: For whoever comes to our country, this will be their punishment."

Johnson's family in the United States remained secluded in New Jersey. FBI Special Agent Joseph Billy met with the family for much of the day and told reporters they "are going through a very difficult time, but they are remarkably strong."

"They want to thank again everyone for the outpouring of support they have received," he said. "They are very, very thankful for this and they wanted me to emphasize their thanks."
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I never wanna visit Iraq in my lifetime.