Saudi Arabia arrests al-Zahrani, one of the main wanted

Saudi Arabia has announced the detention of Fares al-Zahrani, one of the main wanted on the list of the 26 wanted Saudis chased by the Saudi authorities.

A Saudi security source said that al-Zahrani (27 year old) was detained without resistance in Abha area to the south of the Kingdom following several hour chase. The source added that the security men recognized al-Zahrani while he was sitting in a Cafe and he was not armed.

News reports said that al-Zahrani was among the most important advocates of al-Salafeyah thinking which calls for Jihad in Saudi Arabia, and news rumored that the Islamist advocate Safar al-Hawali made negotiations with him to convince him to surrender.

But al-Zahrani denied his approval to surrender. This was in a statement issued on an Islamic website of the Internet. He is beleived to have had carried out a remarkable role in the local organization of al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia after the Saudi security forces killed its leader Abdul Aziz al-Muqarran in June.

By the detention of al-Zahrani, the number of the 26 members on the list of wanted persons decreased to 11 after other persons in the list were detained, surrendered or arested.

The Saudi authorities accuse these persons of being members in al-Qaida organiation led by Osama Bin Laden and they are suspected to carrying out a wave of attacks that took place in the Kingdom since May 2003 and resulted in killing 90 persons and injuring hundreds.