Riyadh: The presumed leader of Al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia, Abdul Aziz Al-Muqrin, was shot dead by security forces last night (June 18, 2004), security men at the scene in Riyadh told.

Al-Muqrin's group had claimed responsibility earlier for the gruesome murder of US hostage Paul Johnson.

The Arab-speaking al-Arabiya television network said two other presumed members of al-Qaeda were also killed in the clash with the Saudi security forces, while a fourth was wounded and arrested.

It said Muqrin and his colleagues had been shot while they were trying to get rid of Johnson's corpse.