RIYADH, 27 July 2003 — Security forces arrested three men at a checkpoint in Al-Ka’akia district of Makkah on Friday morning after they were found to be in possession of printed material that included a fatwa or “religious edict” in support of terrorist acts against Western targets, Al-Nadwa newspaper reported yesterday.
Security forces became suspicious of the men, who approached a checkpoint in the holy city in a Lexus.
The Saudi, Algerian and Moroccan had their car searched after they handed over their identification papers.
They found newspaper clippings and other documents printed from websites which advocate terrorism, as well as the paper containing the fatwa.
The three men were arrested on the spot and were handed over to the appropriate authorities for interrogation.
This is the third arrest of terror suspects in the holy city after the May 12 terrorist attacks in Riyadh, which killed 26 bystanders and nine of the suicide attackers.
A terrorist cell in Makkah was discovered last month when Saudi security forces arrested 12 terror suspects, including seven Saudis, three Chadians and an Egyptian, following a shootout between terrorists and security officers, also in the in Al-Ka’akia district, a week earlier.
Two police officers were killed in the shootout, as were five terror suspects.
The Ministry of Interior said the terrorists opened fire at police when asked to surrender themselves and their firearms. The building the terrorists were staying was booby-trapped and ready to explode, the ministry added.
Two days after the raid, Interior Minister Prince Naif said in a statement that the terrorist killed and arrested were members of Al-Qaeda, adding that they were using Islam as a cover for their criminal activities.
