Saudi Arabia arrests 135 ‘terrorists’

Saudi authorities have arrested 135 “terrorists,” among them 16 Syrians, who were scheming to sabotage security in the kingdom, the Interior Ministry’s spokesman said on Sunday.

“The security forces were able to pursue these terrorist suspects, who differ ideologically but are united through terrorism. This resulted in the arrest of 135 terrorists,” General Mansour Al-Turki said in a statement.

Turki said the majority of those detained were Saudi nationals and that 26 were from different nationalities including 16 Syrians, three Yemenis, one Egyptian, one Lebanese, one Afghani, one Ethiopian, one Bahraini and one Iraqi.

The spokesman said 40 of those arrested hailed from different Saudi regions and were involved in training and joining radical organizations abroad. They were also vowing to return to Saudi Arabia to carry out operations to destabilize the country’s security, he said.

The ministry spokesman said 54 of those arrested are suspected of recruiting, financing, making bombs and issuing fatwas or religious edicts to support these militant groups.

He said 17 of those arrested were also responsible for riots and violent acts including firing at security forces in Al-Awamia, a village situated in the eastern Al-Qatif region.

Three others who were also arrested in Al-Qatif attempted to recruit men to be sent abroad for training “in order to return and carry out terrorist operations in the kingdom.”

Another 21 individuals tried to smuggle weapons illegally, he said.