JEDDAH, 12 March 2005 — Saudi security forces have arrested 18 terror suspects in a sweep of the northern town of Zulfi, according to Interior Ministry spokesman Brig. Mansour Al-Turki.
He said the suspects, 17 Saudis and one Afghan, were arrested in a 24-hour search, which began on Wednesday night and ended at dusk on Thursday in Zulfi, about 280 km north of Riyadh.
Al-Jazirah Arabic daily said the detained men were members of the “deviant group,” a phrase used by the government to describe Al-Qaeda militants.
“Police found three children during the raid and handed them over to their relatives,” Turki said without mentioning their relation with the detained suspects. The raid covered a number of rest houses in the town, Asharq Al-Awsat reported.
The raids were linked to incidents in January when security forces killed four wanted men in clashes north of the town. The four slain terrorists included Muhammad Abdul Rahman Al-Farraj, Mishaal Obaid Al-Hasry, Omar ibn Abdullah Al-Qahtani. The identity of the fourth was not known.
Farraj had helped terrorists in recruiting militants and transporting explosives, Asharq Al-Awsat said, adding that he had also taken part in the attack on security officers that took place on Jan. 29, 2004 while they were searching the house of Khaled Al-Farraj, one of the most wanted terrorists.
Hasry was involved in attacks on highway police in Qasim while Qahtani was accused of giving refuge to terrorists and facilitating a number of terrorist operations in the country, the Arabic daily said.
He had provided shelter to Faris Al-Zahrani, one of the 26 wanted terrorists, who was arrested in Abha on Aug. 5, 2004.
