Saudis mourn hero bodyguard who protected two kings
Saudi Arabia was in mourning on Sunday after the death of King Salman’s personal bodyguard Maj. Gen. Abdelaziz Al-Fagham.
Gen. Al-Fagham, who had also served in the security entourage of the late King Abdullah, died in hospital from gunshot wounds sustained in an altercation on Saturday night at a friend’s home in Ash Shati district of Jeddah. He was shot by an acquaintance, Mamdouh bin Meshaal Al-Ali. Two other people were injured in the incident, which was described as “a personal dispute.”
Ali refused to surrender to police who surrounded the house. He was killed in a shootout with officers, five of whom were wounded and are being treated in hospital. Gen. Al-Fagham was also taken to hospital, but died as a result of his wounds. The funeral prayer was performed at the Grand Mosque in Makkah on Sunday after Isha prayer, and was attended by large crowds of mourners.
The officer’s family will receive public condolences on Tuesday and Wednesday after 5 p.m. at their home in Riyadh.
His nephew, Naif Al-Fagham, said: “May God have mercy on my uncle … treacherously killed when he was at his friend’s house.
He was an honored man to serve his country and his kings, and he is an honor to us all.”
Gen. Al-Fagham was a wellknown and popular figure among Saudis.
“He spent his working life in the service of leadership with sincerity, honesty and dedication,” Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir said.