A truck-bomb attack targeted a US-operated Saudi Arabian National Guard training center in Riyadh, killing five Americans and two Indians. On this day, "GoldenEye", the 17th James Bond film released, starring Pierce Brosnan for the first time
The Islamic Movement for Change claimed responsibility for this terrorist incident, escalating regional tensions.
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About 30 Americans were wounded, and three were in critical condition, according to Jeff Thomas, a U.S. Embassy information officer in Riyadh.
The 11:30 a.m. (12:30 a.m.) blast set off a fire that engulfed the modern, three-story Saudi national guard training center, sending out huge plumes of smoke seen across the city.
The facade of the building looked like it was ripped off, and windows were broken in adjacent buildings. One man felt the force of the explosion two miles away.
The nearby parking lot was full of badly damaged cars, many of them U.S.-made. Car bodies were bent, windows were smashed, and some vehicles appeared charred.
One little-known group, the Islamic Change Movement, and one unknown group, the Tigers of the Gulf, both claimed responsibility for the bombing. The claims were viewed with scepticism, and it was not clear whether the attack was aimed at the Saudis, the Americans, or both.
The Islamic Change Movement issued a statement in April saying that Western forces should leave Saudi Arabia or the movement would "exert all available means to evict these forces from the island of Islam."
"GoldenEye", 17th James Bond film released, starring Pierce Brosnan for the first time, Robbie Coltrane and Judi Dench as M