' Saudi Gazette report NAJRAN – Two brothers who went missing from their home in Najran were found safe and sound on Saturday, 24 hours after they went missing. Local daily Al-Watan reported on Sunday that the two brothers, Ali and Saleh Al-Mahri, aged 9 and 10, were found by their eldest brother near King Khalid Hospital. Local residents, police and the Civil Defense had organized a massive search after they were reported missing on Friday. The brothers' family lives in the Beer Askar area, 32 km away from Najran. Their mother, Um Saeed, said her two sons went to a nearby grocer early Friday but she got worried when they did not come back. She told their father Manie Ali Al-Mahri, who informed the police at about 11 a.m. that his two sons had gone missing. Al-Mahri said one of their cousins saw them near the grocers and gave them a lift home. "They went out again and got into another car that took them to Najran. No one heard anything about them after that," he said. He said the police questioned the driver, who admitted that he drove the brothers all the way to Najran but did not know what happened to them afterward. Saleh said they decided to visit their grandmother, who lives in Najran. "We longed for our grandma and decided to go and visit her," he said. He added that they hitchhiked and the driver dropped them near King Fahd forest, known as Saqqam, where they played for a while before going to their grandmother. The family had no idea that their two sons had gone to their grandmother, who did not have a landline or a mobile phone. The mother said she felt devastated when she saw many residents and the police searching for her two sons. She said: “I did not believe that they were only missing and would come back. “I thought something terrible had happened to them.” Najran Police spokesman Capt. Abdullah Al-Ashwi said the two brothers were medically examined and found to be in good health. He said investigations were ongoing to find out the reasons that caused them to leave the house without informing their parents. Their cousin, Saleh Ali Al-Mahri, denied any foul play and said the family was relieved by their safe return. The father held a big feast for the residents who helped look for his two boys.
