JEDDAH, 17 October 2004 — Crown Prince Abdullah yesterday reiterated the Kingdom’s determination to root out terrorism as security forces arrested two terror suspects in a predawn crackdown in Riyadh.
“The terrorists have tarnished the image of Islam. God will not tolerate having His creed tampered with. God Almighty will ensure we prevail over them and their supporters,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted the crown prince as saying.
Prince Abdullah was speaking to a group of citizens from Hail, who came to greet him on the occasion of Ramadan and voice their support for the government’s efforts to stamp out terrorism.
“Two militants wanted by security authorities were arrested after an exchange of fire at dawn today, during which one of the two was slightly wounded,” said Brig. Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman of the Interior Ministry.
The shootout occurred when security forces raided a suspected hideout in the Al-Khaleej district of eastern Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat, a sister publication of Arab News, quoted Turki as saying. The militants resisted arrest by opening fire on the security forces, he said.
According to eyewitnesses, the operation started at 2.50 a.m. on Friday night and lasted less than 25 minutes.
Two other suspected militants were arrested in a separate operation in the village of Tamir, northwest of Riyadh on Friday. Security forces also seized leaflets and other printed material from them.
One of the suspects was arrested after security forces besieged a house attached to a rest house in Tamir, while the other man was held with two women while trying to evade a police checkpoint.
Saudi Arabia, hit by a string of terror attacks, which have killed around 100 people since May 2003, has rounded up hundreds of militants suspected of links with the Al-Qaeda network.
Turki did not name the two militants arrested in the capital yesterday or say whether they figured on a list of 26 most-wanted suspects, 10 of whom remain at large.
The Interior Ministry announced on Wednesday that one of the three people killed in a gun battle last Tuesday was Abdul Majeed Al-Munie, who was on the list of the most wanted terrorists and an ideologue of Al-Qaeda cell in the Kingdom.
— Additional input by Muneef Al-Safouqi
