Riyadh, Nov 12: Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef has denied reports that authorities had detained suspects in a suicide car bombing that killed at least 17 in the capital. "Nobody has been detained yet," Prince Nayef said in a statement carried by the official Saudi news agency yesterday.
Saudi security officials had earlier said that possible suspects were being held in connection with Saturday's bombing. Others detained might have information about the activities of militants in the Kingdom that police could use in their investigation, the officials said on condition of anonymity.
Also yesterday, a purported al-Qaeda operative was reported to have made the first claim of responsibility for the attack on the housing compound.
At least 13 of those killed Saturday were Arabs, with four still unidentified. Five of the dead were children. In addition, 122 people were injured, among them some Americans but most of them Arab.
Prince Nayef, who was visiting Tunisia, said that "the courageous" Saudi security forces "will continue chasing those criminals until they catch them and bring them to justice".
"We will not open dialogue with them (terrorists); we will deal with them using the rifle and the sword," said the Prince. Bureau Report