Security agencies arrested 93 people linked to the Islamic State (IS) group over the past few months who had planned to attack public and private buildings, and kill police and other officials, said the Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki in a statement on Tuesday.

A militant cell planned a suicide car bombing targeting the US Embassy in Riyadh, but the plot was disrupted in March, he revealed.

Also, security forces arrested Tuesday a citizen sought in connection with the killing of two police officers in Riyadh earlier this month, according to another ministry statement.

The ministry said that Nawaf Al-Anazi, who has the nickname Burgess, was arrested in Romah governorate after the security forces received a tip-off on their 990 number about his whereabouts.

“Al-Anazi opened fire on security officers during the raid at the location. In the return fire, he was injured and overpowered. None of the security officers were injured in the operation,” said Al-Turki’s statement.

The ministry announced last Friday that it had arrested Mohammed Abdulrahman Abu Nayan, 23, who had confessed to taking part in the killing of the two policemen, and injuring two others in separate incidents over the past two months.

Abu Nayan was detained a week ago attempting to cross into Yemen. The ministry had then offered a SR1 million reward for information that would lead to the capture of Al-Anazi, Abu Nayan’s alleged accomplice.

Abu Nayan had also admitted that he had received instructions from the IS group to stay inside Saudi Arabia, prepare attacks and make homemade bombs, according to the ministry last week.Abu Nayan had other accomplices and devised his plan after meeting an IS representative in Riyadh. He recorded footage of the shooting on a mobile phone and was preparing car bombs for use in future attacks. He received cash and instructions from IS, said the ministry.

Security agencies had found huge amounts of bombs and firearms including Belgian rifles during their investigation.  The killing of the two officers took place on April 8 in an eastern district of Riyadh, while they were on patrol in their vehicle.

Security agencies arrested members of an IS-affiliated terror cell named ‘Soldiers of the Land of the Two Holy Mosques’ on Dec. 31 last year. The cell consisted of 15 Saudi members, commanded by a man who specialized in making explosives, said Al-Turki.

One member had the responsibility of coordinating the cell’s activities, while others had to take care of financial and security matters. There were also members who were responsible for issuing fatwas, or religious edicts, to justify their criminal acts, said Al-Turki.

RIYADH: ARAB NEWS

Published — Tuesday 28 April 2015