Suspected militant was carrying Osama bin Laden letter

A suspected militant killed by Saudi police last weekend was carrying a six-month-old letter from Osama bin Laden, a Saudi newspaper reported.

The body of the man, identified as Yosif Salih Fahd Ala'yeeri, one of 19 militants wanted for alleged ties to al Qaeda, was searched after he was shot dead following a police chase on Sunday, said al-Watan newspaper.

It said the letter, dated in the Arabic calendar, was a season's greetings on the Muslim Eid al-Fitr feast, which was celebrated in December.

It also gave a "blessing of the achievements of the groups associated with [bin Laden]".

Al-Watan said the addressee could not be read because the letter was stained with Ala'yeeri's blood. Ala'yeeri was also carrying four identification cards, a driver's licence that did not belong to him and a global positioning device.