Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs, has said that the ministry will cover all medical expenses for the employee of the Saudi embassy in Venezuela who was kidnapped and attacked by unknown assailants earlier this week. Hailan Bin Labda, who has since returned to his family home in the Kingdom, will be offered medical treatment in the country of his choice as well as a transfer to embassies in other countries. Ministry officials assured Labda and his family that all efforts were being made by the Kingdom and Venezuelan authorities to identify the authors of the crime. The assailants reportedly looted Labda's house, stealing more than $4000, before taking him to another location where they burned his face and arms in efforts to extract information concerning his colleagues' homes and work. They also threatened to kill him. Labda said he refused to give them any information, and that his assailants fled after leaving him tied him up. The incident was reportedly the second of its kind this month involving employees of the Saudi Embassy in Caracas after the embassy's Second Secretary was subject to a similar attack.
