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Saudis arrest 88 for being part of Al Qaeda cell
 A top Saudi security official said on Tuesday that police had arrested 88 men suspected of being part of an Al Qaeda cell that was plotting attacks inside and outside of the kingdom.Interior Ministry spokesman Mansour Al Turki did not give any details about the alleged plots, but said 59 of those arrested had previously served prison sentences for similar offences. Al Turki said that Saudi security forces monitored the group for months and learned about their plans. He said the arrests were made over the past several days and that Saudi forces “are serious in tracking down” anyone who joins a terrorist group. “It is unfortunate that some of those who had completed their sentences and were released by court orders returned to their previous ways,” Al Turki said. The police said that three of the men are Yemeni nationals, one is still being identified and the rest are Saudis. A ministry statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency said the ministry had been following a number of suspects in view of what it called the spread of “strife and sick ideas” that lured members of the community “to places of strife”. The announcement comes amid the advance of the ISIS extremist group in Iraq and Syria, which has prompted Saudi Arabia to take harsher measures against sympathisers who could threaten the kingdom's stability. The kingdom made it illegal this year for its citizens to fight as militants abroad. Posted by: Steve White 2014-09-03 |
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