Twelve bomb explosions left more than 770 people injured. The terrorists also randomly fired their guns at people and attacked companies and military bases.

Despite the huge losses that put the Kingdom at the top of countries most affected by terrorism, the country was able to successfully fight terrorism through military plans and promoting the correct Islamic ideology. It was also able to foil a number of terrorist operations and reinforced its position as an important partner in world efforts to combat terrorism.

The Kingdom was able to root out terrorist havens and thwarted 220 operations. The efforts of Saudi security forces culminated in the killing of the leader of Al-Qaeda in the Kingdom, Fahd Al-Juwair.

Al-Qaeda in the Kingdom had a number of leaders who succeeded each other. Among them was Khaled Al-Haj, who was also killed after forming four terrorist cells.

The first cell was under the leadership of Abdul Aziz Al-Migren who in turn established five cells: three in Riyadh under Faisal Al-Dakheel and Khaled Al-Farraj and one each in the Eastern Province under Abdullah Al-Migrren and Naif Al-Qahtani and in Madinah under Saleh Al-Oufi. All these leaders were killed in confrontations with Saudi security forces.

The second terrorist cell formed by Al-Haj was under the leadership of Turki Al-Dandani. Eighty-five members of this cell are currently being tried. They carried out three explosions in residential complexes in the eastern areas of Riyadh. The third cell was led by Ali Al-Barqi and the fourth by Ali Al-Fakasi.

Under the leadership of Saud Al-Qitaini, Al-Qaeda went through many phases and carried out a number of terrorist acts.

During Al-Qitaini's reign, a cell was formed in the eastern Al-Ahsa region under Khaled Al-Sinan. This cell was behind explosions at Interior Ministry and special emergency forces buildings.

Two cells were established in Qasim under the leadership of Abdullah Al-Hossain and Abdul Majeed Al-Maneea. A terrorist cell was established in Khafji under Salman Al-Shammari and another in Jeddah under a man known by his first name, Musa.

The organization set up five cells without announcing the names of their leaders. These were the assassinations, oil, preparations, Kuwait and the North cells.

After Al-Qitaini was killed in a confrontation with security forces, Moroccan citizen Yunis Al-Hayari became the leader of Al-Qaeda in the Kingdom.

During his time, two terrorist cells were established, one under Fahd Al-Juwair and the second under Zaid Al-Sammari. Following the death of Al-Hayari in a confrontation with security forces in Qasim, Fahd Al-Juwair became the leader of Al-Qaeda.

He carried out a bomb attack at an oil refinery in Al-Baqeek. The leader and five of his followers were killed in a rest house east of Riyadh 62 hours after the attack.

Al-Qaeda targeted a number of Gulf countries in 2001 with the aim of changing the regimes there before it shifted its focus to the Kingdom in 2003.

Mokhtar Al-Baloushi was assigned the military work outside. He was assisted by Abdul Rahman Al-Nashiri and Abu Obaidah Al-Hadrami. Al-Nashiri was appointed leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and Ramzi Al-Shiba was made his assistant.

The terrorist acts of Al-Qaeda also included forging travel documents, deciding the locations for terrorist activity, making arrangements for the entry of terrorists and providing them with safe accommodation.

Large quantities of arms, ammunition, explosives, banknotes, cars and forged documents were confiscated by the security forces who were tracking down terrorists.

For the first time, terrorist trials in Riyadh and Jeddah were opened to the media. The trial of 11 terrorists allegedly belonging to the Yanbu cell began in Riyadh in May. They were charged with planning the attack against Yanpet company in Yanbu in which five Western employees and a Saudi policeman were killed. Twenty-five Saudis and foreigners were injured. All four terrorists who carried out the attack were killed. The defendants were also charged with forming a cell to carry out terrorist acts. They claimed they were avenging the residents of Fallujah in Iraq who were killed by American forces. Seven of the 11 defendants are brothers and cousins.

The trial of 85 alleged members of the third terrorist cell who attacked three residential compounds in Riyadh in 2003 began in June.

The trial of 75 alleged members of the cell known as "the clandestine organization" began in Jeddah recently. They include 16 academics accused of attempts to topple the government.