Worldwide praise for Saudi cop as Daesh shootout video goes global

January 9, 2017

Jeddah, Jan 9: The brave police officer who shot and killed two Daesh-linked terrorists has been hailed as a hero by Saudi citizens and the international media.

Daesh

The UK-based Daily Mail has cited his bravery, saying that “despite the terrorists being armed with machine guns, an officer shoots them [the two terrorists] with a pistol.”

“Hero police officer shoots dead two ISIS terrorists wearing explosive belts in a dramatic gunfight captured on camera in the Saudi Arabian capital,” said the Daily Mail.

Cpl. Gibran Jaber Awagy was wounded in the dramatic shootout in Riyadh on Saturday — but said he did not even realize he was injured until afterward.

The militants were armed with Kalashnikov rifles and explosive belts. Awagy shot dead the two militants from behind a patrol car, which the two militants had tried to steal in their escape attempt.

Awagy, who is recovering in hospital, won praise for his quick actions in stopping the “most wanted” Daesh terrorist Tayea Salem bin Yaslam Al-Sayari and accomplice Talal bin Samran Al-Saedi.

On the day of the security operation in Riyadh, Cpl. Awagy was called to the scene in the Al-Yasmeen neighborhood as reinforcement. He and his colleagues immediately cordoned off the area to prevent civilians from coming close to the site and getting harmed, he told Sabq.com.

It was then that two men dressed in traditional Saudi dress came out of a house running.

“At first, I was not sure whether those running in front of me were the terrorists; they could have been neighborhood residents trying to run away from the terrorists. I was asking them to take shelter. Suddenly they started firing at me so I immediately pulled out my pistol and fired back,” he said. A local resident shot a video of the incident, which went viral on the Internet. It showed how the operation was carried out by Awagy and the death of one of the terrorists.

The video does not clearly show how the other terrorist was brought down.

But there is more to the story, as the brave police officer explained.

“I was carrying a machine gun when one of the terrorists started shooting at me and tried to carjack my police patrol vehicle. By the time the other terrorist arrived, the magazine of the machine gun was empty, so I immediately pulled out my pistol, and shot and killed him,” he said.

In the process, Awagy was shot in the leg by one of the terrorists, but that did not stop him from stopping the Daesh militants’ escape bid.

“I did not realize I was injured and bleeding until after all had finished. My top priority was to kill those terrorists and eliminate the risks they were posing,” he said.

Awagy is being treated in hospital and said he will hopefully recover with no consequences.

Soon after he was admitted to hospital, Awagy received a phone call from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif, who checked on his condition and conveyed King Salman’s greetings and wishes of speedy recovery.

His story has gone viral on social media and got picked up by international media outlets, praising Awagy for his heroism and putting his life on the line.

People on social media circulated the hashtag #The_Hero_Jabran_Awaji and expressed their admiration of the policeman’s bravery and heroism.

“One has to admit that when it comes to fighting crime, Saudi forces are one of the best!” said AbdulRahman Siddiqui on Facebook.

Abdulrahman Paidumama was impressed with the performance of Awagy and said, “It is not easy to face the AK47 while in your hand is just a 9mm pistol, what a brave policeman... may Allah protect you all the time.”

The perfect timing and correct use of moves impressed Mahamad Amin Shaikh “He is a real Hero. I Salute this Brave man.”

Manal Saleh felt reassured after watching the video of the policeman’s courage hunting down the terrorists in a heartbeat without thinking for a second and said, “Saudi policemen will do everything to protect all of us inside the Kingdom.”

Despite the fact that the two militants had machine guns, grenades and suicide belts, “the brave Saudi cop” — as Mohammed Sadiq Mulki described him — deserved a medal of honor. “Hats off him for his courage and bravery,” he said.

Global media outlets also praised Awagy’s quick thinking and brave actions.

The London-based Daily Mail newspaper called the police officer a “hero,” while accounts of his brave actions were also reported in The Independent newspaper, Yahoo News and numerous other outlets.

Maria Dubovikova, a leading Russian political analyst who specializes in Middle Eastern affairs, shared the video of the Riyadh encounter on her Twitter account.

“#SaudiArabian policeman armed with a pistol against two #ISIS terrorists armed with Kalashnikov. Guess who wins!” she wrote from her Twitter handle @politblogme.

Speaking to Arab News on Sunday, Dubovikova, president of the Moscow-based International Middle Eastern Studies Club (IMESClub), said she was very impressed by the professionalism and efficiency of the Saudi security forces who protect their homeland from terrorists.

“On their shoulders is a heavy burden but they bear it with responsibility and great professionalism,” she said. “People around the world should understand this; the bravery of the Saudi security forces should help clear away all the negative stereotypes of Saudi Arabia.”

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
April 23,2020

Dubai, Apr 23: UAE announced on Thursday 4 deaths, 518 new coronavirus cases and 91 recoveries.

According to the Ministry of Health and Prevention, an additional 29,000 COVID-19 tests were performed, which revealed 518 new positive cases, bringing the total number of cases to 8,756. The new patients identified are in a stable condition and undergoing treatment, according to the ministry.

UAEGov

@uaegov
 · 4h
An additional 29,000 Covid-19 tests were performed, which revealed 518 new cases bringing the total number of cases to 8756. The new cases identified are in a stable condition and undergoing treatment, @mohapuae announced today. #UAEGov

UAEGov

@uaegov
Also, @mohapuae announced that four Asian expats who tested positive for COVID-19 died due to complications. This brings the total death toll to 56. The Ministry of Health and Prevention expressed sincere condolences to the families of the deceased.

The ministry announced that four Asian expats who tested positive for COVID-19 died due to complications. This brings the total deaths to 56. The ministry expressed sincere condolences to the families of the deceased.

The total number of recovered cases has reached 1,637 with 91 patients fully recovered on Thursday, after receiving treatment.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
April 16,2020

Dubai, Apr 16: Most of the patients who have fully recovered from Covid-19 in the UAE followed healthy behaviours that helped strengthen their immune systems, said Dr Farida Al Hosani, Official Spokesperson for the UAE Health Sector.

Dr Al Hosani made the remarks during the UAE Government's regular briefing on the latest developments related to the spread of coronavirus in the country, which was held on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi.

During the briefing, Dr Al Hosani spoke about the precautionary measures that aimed to prevent the spread of the virus.

Ammar Al Muaini, Official Spokesperson of the National Programme for Happiness and Quality of Life, also explained the outcomes of the National Mental Health Programme.

During the briefing, Dr Al Hosani affirmed that recorded cases in the country, especially recoveries, were related to key factors and reasons.

"In most cases of recoveries, we noticed that they have followed several daily health behaviours, such as doing exercise, eating a healthy diet, strengthening the immune system, and maintaining an ideal weight, as well as abstaining from bad habits, such as smoking and unhealthy eating. The psychological aspect is also important, and it is necessary to support the mental health of individuals, along with their physical health," she said.

"These practices, which we always emphasise and promote, will help raise a person's immunity and resistance to diseases, in addition to medicines, and can speed up the process of recovering from disease," she added.

Dr Al Hosani also talked about the importance of not being complacent if one's temperature rises. "We highlight the importance of periodic temperature checks for family members at home. This step is one of the health measures that we are encouraging.

"Everyone who has a high temperature must contact the nearest health centre or hospital or go to a drive-through testing centre because personal health is linked to the health of those around us and we are responsible for it. There is no room for hesitation in protecting our families," she stressed.

Dr Al Hosani highlighted the importance of covering the nose and mouth, whether by wearing surgical, paper or cloth masks, or any other covering or clothing.

"This procedure is important for everyone leaving home to avoiding the transmission of any infection and preserving the safety of everyone, along with leaving a safe physical distance between people in public places, markets and workplaces, and following the precautions," she explained.

Regarding high temperatures and their relationship to the coronavirus, Dr. Al Hosani said: "All studies that attempt to understand the relationship between the virus and climate have not been able to confirm that higher temperatures will help kill the virus. We are continuing to monitor the results of these studies."

Al Muaini explained the details and developments of the national campaign, titled, 'Don't Worry,' which aims to support the mental health of community members.

"The UAE Government, represented by the National Programme for Happiness and Quality of Life, has launched, under the current circumstances, the national campaign, titled, 'Don't Worry,' that aims to provide psychological support to members of society facing the repercussions of the novel coronavirus, in line with relevant national efforts," Al Muaini said.

"The campaign reflects the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, affirming that quality of life is a high priority, and health is the most important pillar of quality of human and society," Al Muaini added.

Al Muaini stated that the phrase, 'Don't Worry,' is profound in its meaning, according to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, and reassures everyone that everything will be fine. "Today, the concept of health is not limited to physical health, but it also includes mental health. During this period, and due to the social, professional, and educational changes that directly affect our lives, we need to support and enhance our mental health to overcome these challenges," he  added.

Al Muaini said that over 50 specialists, psychologists and social workers are voluntarily participating in the national campaign to serve the country, which includes three main components focusing on providing psychological support to all members of society, especially as this type of support is one of the necessary community needs during the current circumstances.

The first component, 'Let's Support Together,' aims to answer enquiries regarding psychological challenges, provide educational advice, and support individuals in facing challenges, through daily live broadcasts on the social media networks of the National Programme for Happiness and Quality of Life, @HappyUAE. Two events are broadcast every day, with the first being at 17:30 in English and the second at 20:30 in Arabic to benefit all segments of society.

Al Muaini explained that the number of live broadcasts on the programme's social media accounts has reached 30 and covers various topics, including psychological care for senior citizens, psychological care for children, psychological support for working mothers, and how to address anxiety and psychological concerns.

According to scientific studies, fear and anxiety are among the strongest influences that weaken human immunity, and, therefore, it is necessary to learn about how to deal with them. The duration of each broadcast is one hour, attracting some 250,000 views each.

Al Muaini explained that the second component of the campaign is the hosting of closed virtual sessions, entitled, 'Let's Talk Together,' which aim to provide psychosocial support to specific groups of society, to enable them to talk to each other in a safe environment to discuss the psychological challenges they are facing.

The programme has organised over eight closed psychological support sessions to maintain the privacy of participants, under the supervision of certified physicians and psychologists. Some 300 people have participated and some sessions were held for those under quarantine, including working mothers, school and university students, and doctors working in the first line of defence.

Some 300,000 people watched "Let's Reassure Each Other" programme Al Muaini noted that the third component of the campaign, titled, "Let's Reassure Each Other," focuses on raising awareness of the importance of psychological resilience and promoting its importance to society. The programme has so far posted more than 21 video clips containing messages of support and reassurance to the community.

The number of people who watched the programme reached some 300,000 viewers.

Al Muaini stressed that the campaign is an effective interactive platform available on a daily basis, to provide psychological support to all segments of society at a time when people require reassurance and psychological support to overcome the current crisis. The campaign hosted doctors working in the first line of defence and their enquiries were answered directly. A group of people under quarantine was also involved in the closed support sessions, which were also popular with participating doctors.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Saudi Gazette
May 27,2020

Riyadh, May 27: Following the announcement of easing of lockdown measures, which includes reopening of all mosques for daily congressional as well as Friday prayers across the Kingdom except the holy city of Makkah, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance has set mandatory guidelines.

In a circular issued to mosque staff, Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance Sheikh Abdullatif Al-Asheikh has instructed that all mosques must comply with the following precautionary measures and instructions:

1. Open mosques 15 minutes before the Adhan and close them 10 minutes after prayer

2. Reduce the waiting period between the Adhan and Iqamah to 10 minutes

3. Open windows and doors from entering time to the end of the prayer

4. Remove copies of Holy Qur’an and other books temporarily from mosques

5. Ensure attendees keep a distance of two meters between each other

6. Ensure one space is left between each row

7. Close all water coolers and refrigerators

8. Do not allow distribution of water or food in mosques

9. Close toilets and places of ablution

Precautionary measures on Friday prayers are as follows:

1. Open mosques 20 minutes before Friday prayer and closing them 20 minutes after prayer.

2. Friday sermon with prayer should not exceed 15 minutes.

The circular also stipulates to keep the suspension of the religious courses, programs and lectures, as well as the memorizing Holy Qur'an sessions in the mosques and to continue education and lectures remotely until further notice.

The circular pointed out that the imams of mosques should urge the worshipers to take the following precautionary measures:

1. Wear a face mask

2. Bring their own prayer rugs and not leave them after the prayer

3. Prevent accompanying children under 15 years of age from entering mosques

4. Perform ablution at home

5. Avoid crowding when entering or exiting mosques

Meanwhile, the spokesman of the Ministry of Interior clarified later in the day that people are allowed to perform congressional prayers in their locality during the time of curfew.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.