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.
coastaldigest.com web desk
July 6,2020

Dubai, July 6: In an attempt to make a comeback in the tourism sector amidst managing covid-19 crisis, Dubai is all set to welcome holiday-makers from foreign countries from July 7.

It said those entering would have to present certificates to show they had recently tested negative for the coronavirus or would undergo tests on arrival at Dubai airports.

Reassuring tourists of several comprehensive measures to prevent the transmission of the pandemic, Dubai Tourism urged global travellers to make the city that boasts world class health and safety standards "a must-visit destination."

Dubai Tourism hosted a virtual forum for stakeholders and partners to share its industry outlook ahead of the city's reopening to international tourists.

The forum, which was attended by nearly 2,000 key executives from the aviation, travel and hospitality sectors and across tourism touch-points, provided a first-hand insight into current and post-pandemic strategies that will help accelerate tourism momentum and position Dubai as a safe global destination.

Helal Saeed Almarri, director general, Dubai Tourism, said that the city has put in place a robust strategy to manage the pandemic with the key priority being to safeguard the health and well-being of citizens, residents and guests.

Dubai, which saw a 5.1 per cent in tourist traffic to 16.73 million in 2019, remains top of mind for travellers and ranks high in global Internet search rankings for tourist destinations.

Dubai Tourism has launched marketing activities designed to convey positive messages about travel in today's environment, Dubai's preparedness, high standards of quality and safety, unique experiences that await visitors and also address traveller concerns across every touch-point in their journey.

The forum highlighted the preventive measures taken so far against Covid-19 that have further elevated the UAE's standing as one of the world's safest countries. The UAE is globally ranked No.3 in testing per million of population. It was also ranked No.3 in an international survey that assessed satisfaction with governments' response to the pandemic.

Over 350 influencers were also deployed to take the Dubai story in 14 different languages to a global audience spanning 18 markets, which yielded over 21 million engagements across multiple social media platforms.

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
June 30,2020

Dubai, June 30: The United Arab Emirates is all set to reopen mosques and other places of worship at 30 per cent capacity from July 1.

However, Friday prayers will remain suspended in the country, said Saif Al Dhaheri, Spokesperson for the National Crisis & Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA) during a virtual press briefing on Monday.

The official said certain mosques in industrial areas, labor residential areas, shopping malls and public parks will remain closed until further notice.

He said health authorities already conducted Covid-19 tests for Imams and workers serving at the mosque to ensure health and safety of the worshippers.

Al Dhaheri also spelt out guidelines that worship centres have to follow to welcome worshippers.

A distance of three metres should be observed between each worshippers and no handshakes are allowed. Worshippers will have to perform ablutions at home. People should bring their own personal copies of Holy Quran or read from digital copies. It is also mandatory for all worshippers to download and activate contract tracing app AlHosn.

"We urge the public to cooperate by following precautionary measures including social distancing. Children under 12 years old, the elderly as well as individuals with chronic diseases should avoid going to mosques," said the official.

The UAE first announced the suspension of public prayers in all places of worship on March 16, which was extended until further notice on April 9.

As Khaleej Times reported, places of worship had been preparing to reopen since the last few weeks by sanitizing parking lots and outdoor areas, entrances, main prayer halls and ablution areas.

The spokesperson also announced that the Private and commercial boat trips and water sports will be allowed to operate at reduced capacity of 50 per cent but by following precautionary measures.

The total number of recovered cases of Coronavirus (Covid-19) in the UAE has reached 37,076 with 665 cases recovered today after receiving treatment. Since the beginning of June, UAE has had a daily recovery average of 660 cases, said Dr. Amna Al Shamsi, Spokesperson for the UAE government.

Guidelines

1. Maintain a distance of 3 metres between worshippers.

2. No handshakes allowed.

3. Ablutions must be performed at home.

4. To read the Holy Quran, worshippers must bring their own copies.

5. All worshippers must download and activate contact tracing app AlHosn

6. People in vulnerable categories like those with chronic diseases and the elderly must not visit the mosques.

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
July 18,2020

Dubai, July 18: An NRI student who passed away in Dubai shortly after shortly after attempting his Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Grade 12 papers in March, has scored an impressive 91.4 per cent on his board examinations, including 100 in his media studies paper.

Ahmed Ziyad, a student of GEMS Our Own Indian School in Al Qouz, Dubai, died on March 19, suffered a heart condition called Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) that stopped him from being active in sporting activities.

Ziyad's parents, teachers, and classmates remember him as a very ambitious pupil, who wanted to launch his own business and achieve great things in his life. His board results are - mass media studies 100, Marketing 97, English 84, Entrepreneurship 82, and Home Science 94.
 
Ziyad's father, Shanavaz Manangath, a real estate professional who has been a resident of Dubai for over two decades said, "Six months ago, he had collapsed while playing with his friends. Since there was an irregularity in his heartbeat, he could not take part in any strenuous activities." He added, "Ziyad had just started playing with his friends on March 19 when he suddenly collapsed and died shortly after. My family has not been able to overcome his loss."

Unable to hold back his tears, an emotional Manangath said Ziyad wanted to do his BBA and launch his own business, "He was very ambitious. Honestly, I haven't looked into his board exam results, but, I know he had studied very hard for the exams."

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.