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Riyadh foils Al-Qaeda bid to regroup

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia has announced making large-scale arrests in the last six months to foil attempts by followers of Al-Qaeda to regroup in the kingdom.

Security forces have arrested 701 militants who were plotting terror strikes, Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry spokesman has been quoted as saying.

He pointed out that the extremists were planning to target economic installations, including oil terminals. Those arrested include foreigners, including several Africans and Asians. Around 112 persons were arrested on allegations of coordinating with foreign militants and facilitating their travel.

Saudi authorities said one cell, run by African immigrants, was broken in the eastern part of the country. Another group was apprehended in Yanbuan industrial city on the Red Sea coast where a number of petrochemical facilities are located.

A 22-member cell attempting assassination of Islamic scholars and members of security forces was also broken. A number of weapons, ammunition, sophisticated electronic equipment and money has been confiscated from the militants.

Saudi Arabia launched a major crackdown after 2003 when militants bombed several western residential compounds in the kingdom.

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