(AKI) - Yemeni police have arrested seven Saudi citizens allegedly linked to a local Al-Qaeda cell. According to the Saudi daily, Al-Watan, the seven were suspected of planning attacks against local oil fields and tourist spots in the Arab country.The terrorists are reported to have admitted being part of the Al-Qaeda cell recently formed by Yemeni Naser al-Wahshi, who is said to have recruited several former detainees released from the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay.
The arrests took place in the past few days in a series of raids carried out by security forces in the region bordering Saudi Arabia.
Since news broke last month about the creation of a new Al-Qaeda cell on the Arabian Peninsula, Yemeni police have arrested 23 people allegedly linked to the terror group and accused of entering Yemen illegally to join the cell.
Yemeni foreign minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi said last week that Al-Qaeda was under control in Yemen.
Speaking to the Saudi al-Madina newspaper, al-Qirbi said that the Yemeni and Saudi authorities had information on the whereabouts of militants in Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
"They are under security control and censorship," he said.
"Al-Qaeda elements do not provide anything other than violence, destruction and damage to their homeland and to Islam and Muslims."
He said that his country was currently preparing a centre for the rehabilitation of former Guantanamo detainees.