JEDDAH, 27 August 2005 — Saudi Arabia announced yesterday that its security forces had foiled a major terrorist attack in the capital Riyadh by Al-Qaeda militants and arrested 41 terror suspects of various nationalities.
“Security forces managed to prevent an imminent terrorist attack in Riyadh, when they targeted militant hideouts in Riyadh, Madinah and the northern town of Arar on Aug. 18,” the Interior Ministry said.
A raid on a Riyadh hide-out of Al-Qaeda militants targeted a group of six preparing to carry out “an imminent terrorist attack in the capital,” said the ministry’s statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency.
The coordinated security campaign in the three cities led to the killing of three wanted terrorists: Saleh Al-Oufi, one-time commander of local Al-Qaeda cell, Majed Al-Hasry, who was figured on a list of 36 wanted suspects, and Mohamed Owaida.
The gunbattle between security forces and terrorists came days after Western governments including US and Britain warned that fresh terror attacks might be imminent in Saudi Arabia, where Al-Qaeda militants had launched a spate of bombings and shootings since May 2003.
The US Embassy in Riyadh and its consulates in Jeddah and Dhahran were closed temporarily this month following information about possible militant strikes against American offices and citizens.
Australia, Britain, Canada and Germany also issued alerts about serious threats against their nationals in the Kingdom.
Saudi security forces have launched a relentless crackdown on Al-Qaeda militants since a wave of violence began two years ago.
The terrorist attacks have so far claimed the lives of at least 90 civilians, 43 security personnel and 116 militants.
State television yesterday aired footage of the clashes and large quantities of weapons seized during last week’s operations.
A ministry official said that during a raid on two residential locations in Arar near the border with Iraq, security forces arrested two members of the same group and seized weapons and “motorcycles used to smuggle individuals out of the country.”
The official said security forces began tracking down the cell targeted in last week’s offensive after arresting Mohamed ibn Saeed Al-Amri, one of the militants on a wanted list of 36, in Madinah on July 25.
“Thirteen members of the group were subsequently caught and various weapons seized,” the official said. A total of 28 more suspects had been rounded up since the start of the campaign on Aug. 18, he added.
The ministry said those arrested were of various nationalities but did not reveal their names. Security forces have uncovered weapons and parts of RPGs and machine guns dumped in a 150-meter-deep well in Madinah.
They have also seized weapons kept in a warehouse in Madinah, SR186,000 in cash, telecommunication devices and various documents.
Last week’s Cabinet meeting commended the security officers for their “pre-emptive operation” to crush terrorists and foil terrorist attacks.
