A SERIES of co-ordinated terrorist strikes rocked the heart of Saudi capital Riyadh last night, days after al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden called for more attacks on his homeland. Government buildings were targeted. A bystander was killed by a car bomb near the interior ministry and two suicide car bombers blew themselves up after trying to storm an army recruiting centre. Around the same time, security forces fought a gun battle with terrorists in the north of the city.

Israeli troops have killed five Palestinians after tanks pushed into the southern Gaza Strip in what the army called a raid to root out militants behind mortar and rocket fire on Jewish settlements.