Riyadh, Dec 04: Saudi authorities have broken up seven terrorist cells that form the backbone of a terror network in the kingdom, with barely two cells remaining, the Arabic al-Hayat newspaper reported today.
A senior Saudi security source told the Pan-Arab Saudi-owned daily that the seven cells were broken up in recent months with "only a small number (of terrorists) remaining, accounting for less than two cells."
The source also said that a Saudi suspect captured last week by Saudi security forces, and officially announced Wednesday, is a "dangerous" member of the cell that allegedly carried out the November 8 attack on the al-Muhaya residential compound in Riyadh, killing 17 people.
The Saudi terror suspect is also a member of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terror network, the source added.
A Saudi Interior Minister official said in a statement yesterday that an sa-7 missile, four rocket-propelled grenades and a vast quantity of other arms and ammunition were also seized in the suspect's arrest. On Monday, Saudi Arabia named two of its nationals it said carried out the al-Muhaya suicide attack.
The US Embassy in Riyadh warned Tuesday of possible attacks on residential compounds in the kingdom which it said had been actively surveyed by "terrorist elements."
The Interior Ministry said last week it had foiled a "massive attack" that had the ingredients of the al-Muhaya blast, killing two of the "terrorists" in a clash north of the capital.
Bureau Report