Saudis capture 701 terror suspects

Source: Agencies  |   2008-6-26  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

SAUDI Arabia has arrested 701 suspected al-Qaida-linked militants this year, some of them suspected of plotting attacks against the kingdom's oil and economic installations, the Interior Ministry said yesterday.

Riyadh has in the past reported large militant arrests, including those linked with al-Qaida, but the figure released yesterday was the largest and the most comprehensive.

A statement from the ministry said that of those arrested, 181 were released because there was no proof linking them to the terror network, while 520 remain in custody. The statement, carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, said the militants had planned a car bomb attack against one of the kingdom's oil installations. They belonged to "cells" which planned to revive "criminal activities" in the kingdom, and their leaders were based outside the country, it said.

The oil-rich kingdom has been waging a crackdown on militants since a 2003 wave of attacks on foreigners.