Saudi security forces have detained a man suspected of links with a key terrorists of the Al-Qaeda terror network captured two days ago in Abha, Al-Watan daily reported. "Police in the (southwestern) Asir region arrested at dawn on Friday a 29-year-old person, who had sexual direct contact with Faris Al-Zahrani, in an apartment in the district of Uhd Rufaida," the paper said. "He was arrested without putting up any resistance. A loaded pistol, a computer and CDs of material supporting the ideas of Zahrani were found in his apartment," the daily said.
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It said the detained man, whose identity has not been disclosed, was believed to be the editor and distributor of Zahrani's articles published on the Internet.
Late Thursday, Zahrani, an ideologue of Al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia, was detained together with another unidentified suspect in the resort city of Abha, capital of the Asir region. Zahrani was No. 11 on a list of 26 most-wanted suspected terrorists issued by the Inerior Ministry last December. Al-Watan daily also reported that Zahrani had made plans to flee Saudi Arabia to a neighboring country, presumably Yemen. "That was the reason why he came to Abha, in order to move to Jizan and then flee the country," it said.
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Prince Faisal ibn Khaled, deputy governor of the Asir region, yesterday described Zahrani's arrest a major security achievement and a big blow to militants. "Probably, he was planning to carry out more terrorist attacks," he added.
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Although the Interior Ministry did not disclose information about the exact location of Zahrani's arrest, Al-Watan said he was arrested in a public park in Abha. "He was taken by surprise when he found security men surrounding him. He had thought those around him were tourists walking in the park," said the paper. |