Saudi Arabia detains dozens of suspected al Qaeda militants

2014-05-07 2

Police in Saudi Arabian raid a suspected terrorist’s house in Riyadh as part of a major security operation.

The government claims to have uncovered an al Qaeda militant group with links to “ extremist elements” in the region.

The suspects are thought to have been planning attacks in the Kingdom.

Interior MInistry spokesperson General Major Mansour al-Turki declared the operation a success:

“The results of an investigation and security follow up has shown how widespread this network is and the existing links with radical elements in Syria and Yemen. Sixty-two suspects have been arrested for their connection to the revealed terrorist organisation – one Palestinian, one Yemeni, one Pakistani and the rest are all Saudis.”

Put on show was a haul of computers, money and weapons police claim to have found at several targeted locations.

Saudi Arabia is increasingly concerned that Syria’s civil war is radicalising more of its own citizens.

However International groups say a new “anti-terrorism” law is allowing for the detaining and jailing of people as militants for criticising the country’s ruling family.