The arrested man is the prime suspect in the murder of Abdullah Sulaiman Asiri, a soldier, and Ali Al-Ahmari, a member of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Haia) in the province. The suspect disguised as a woman, wearing a black abaya at the time of the arrest.

The arrest was made 16 hours after Asir Gov. Prince Faisal bin Khaled had vowed to bring the murderer to book.

The prince assured the relatives of the murdered soldier and Haia member after offering his condolences on their deaths that the province’s security machinery was striving its best to catch the culprits. The police had beefed up surveillance on roads and checkpoints in the province after the murderers fled.

On the basis of the information they received, the police had been keeping special watch on the checkpoint in Rijal Almae. The suspect tried to resist the arrest, but soon the police overpowered him. The man who was transporting the suspect was also arrested, according to police source.