Some 17 Saudis and Afghani arrested in Riyadh

The Saudi ministry of the interior said it had detained 17 Saudis and one Afghani suspected to be members in al-Qaida organization during a breaking in operation in one of the quarters in Riyadh city.

The spokesman for the ministry Mansour al-Turkey said that the arrest was made in two different positions in Riyadh without resistance.

Media sources indicated that the operation followed inspection operations for several houses that used to be inhabited by suspects arrested earlier in Riyadh. The security forces found computers and CDs whose content was not disclose.

These developments came after a warning addressed by the American consulate on Wednesday to the American citizens living in the area over terrorist threats, following successive security warnings issued recently in precaution of possible new operations in the kingdom.

Since May 2004, the kingdom has been witnessing a series of acts of violence targeting foreigners and vital establishments that resulted in killing scores of civilians and policemen. Accusations were addressed to al-Qaida organization.