Saudi Arabia says 208 arrested in terrorist raid

More than 200 al-Qaida-linked suspects involved in different plots against the kingdom have been arrested in recent months in Saudi Arabia’s largest anti-terrorism sweep to date, the Interior Ministry said Wednesday.\nThe ministry first reported the arrest of eight men, said to be linked to al-Qaida and allegedly planning to attack oil installations in the kingdom.\nAn Interior Ministry statement, carried by the Saudi Press Agency, said the eight were part of a terrorist cell led by a non-Saudi man, who was one of those arrested. The planned attacks were to take place in the eastern region of the country, which is home to Saudi’s main oil resources.\nThe arrest of the eight “pre-empted an imminent attack on an oil installation,” the statement said without naming the target or providing more details.\nThe ministry also said 22 other suspects were arrested for allegedly supporting the al-Qaida terror network. This group plotted to assassinate the country’s religious leaders and security officials, it said.\nThe ministry also gave the following breakdown of other arrests:\n• Eighteen suspects, led by an alleged expert in launching missiles, were arrested separately. “They were planning to smuggle eight missiles into the kingdom to carry out terrorist operations,” the ministry said.\n• One hundred twelve Saudis were arrested for links and “coordination with outside circles” to assist in smuggling men to troubled areas – shorthand for Iraq and Afghanistan – for training, after which they would be brought back for attacks in the kingdom.\n• Thirty-two men – both Saudis and non-Saudis – were arrested for providing financial aid to al-Qaida operations in the kingdom.\n• Sixteen men were arrested in the holy city of Medina for colluding to issue a publication propagating “misleading ideology” and criminal acts. The group also worked on helping volunteers go fight in Afghanistan and Iraq.\nThe ministry said a total of 208 were arrested.\nSaudi Arabia, which has a quarter of the world’s proven oil reserves, has seen a rise in attacks by Islamist extremists over the last few years.\nThe kingdom has been waging a crackdown on al-Qaida militants since a wave of attacks on foreigners in the kingdom in 2003.\nThe previous large sweep by the Saudi authorities was announced in April, netting 172 militants, including pilots they say were trained for oil refinery attacks using civilian planes.\nAssociated Press Writer Maamoun Youssef contributed to this report from Cairo, Egypt.