Five detained, explosives checked in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia, Local, 1/17/2006

Saudi Arabia's security forces detained five persons described as extremists in various areas of the capital Riyadh over suspicion that they are linked to establishing a factory for manufacturing explosives.

Saudi security sources said that the five men, four Saudis and one resident foreigner whose identity was not disclosed were arrested on Monday without resistance, noting that the security men found a factory for manufacturing explosives in a house northeast of Riyadh during a raid on Monday evening.

The sources explained that the five men were not within the list issued by the Saudi authorities in 2005 including the 36 most wanted. However, these sources indicated that it is believed that the men are part of a network preparing nearby attacks in Riyadh with many of these attacks excepted to be against government buildings.

One security official asked to be anonymous said that the police found 20 kg of explosives and one million Saudi riyals in the house.

Another official said that the security forces detained first a persons who was monitored by the police and that the man admitted the places where his friends are hiding. The official explained that armed clashes took place in one of the raids during attempts by suspects to flee, but no casualties were reported.

Earlier, Saudi security sources were quoted as saying that the detained men are linked to cells from al-Qaida organization. The sources indicated that large number of the security forces imposed on Monday a siege at the al-Fahs al-Douri quarters in Riyadh that lasted until evening.

Worthy mentioning that the Saudi security forces killed in December 2005 Abdul Rahman al-Mutiib, wanted number 4 on the list of most wanted men, and Muhammad al-Sweilami, wanted number 7, during the violent confrontations in which five security men were killed in al-Qasim north of Riyadh.

The ministry of interior on June 28, 2005 issued a list in the name of 36 activists believed to be members in al-Qaida organization including 15 wanted - with 14 of them Saudis inside the kingdom and 21 wanted (15 Saudis, three from Chad, one from Kuwait, one Mauritanian and one Yemeni) abroad.

Since May 2003, Saudi Arabia has been facing explosions and attacks claimed by al-Qaida wing in Saudi Arabia and resulted so far in killing 258 persons including 90 civilians, 49 security men and 119 Islamists described by the authorities as extremists.

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