Saudi authorities foil terror plots, seize explosives

Saudi authorities have arrested 16 people and confiscated a huge cache of explosives in nationwide raids on extremist hideouts, the Interior Ministry said yesterday.

The raids, part of Saudi Arabia's crackdown against suspected militants, have foiled several terror plots about to be carried out at key installations.

Several terrorist cells and hideouts in Riyadh, Qaseem and the Eastern Province were searched during the operation, a ministry official said. But he did not say when the operations were carried out.

The official did not say if any of those arrested were linked to the May 12 suicide bombings in Riyadh which killed 25 people and nine attackers.

The search of several houses, farms and warehouses yielded 20 tons of chemicals used in making explosives and boxes of arms and ammunition.

The boxes contained 72kg of RDX, nearly 1,000 metres of fuse, electric detonators, machine guns, 18 rocket-propelled grenades and five launchers.

Security forces also seized night-vision goggles, surveillance cameras, bulletproof vests, passports, forged identification cards, tapes and donation boxes.

Another Interior Ministry official said the arrests were made in the past four days and that the suspects, currently undergoing interrogation, had been plotting terrorist attacks. He did not elaborate.

"There are still a number of suspects we are looking for," he said on condition of anonymity. Saudi authorities issued a list of 19 suspects in the Riyadh attacks, saying the group had been in touch with the Al Qaida. Ten suspects remain at large.

Interior Minister Prince Nayef has previously said that authorities foiled several terror plots against foreigners, some bigger than those in Riyadh, and that dangers remained.