Saudi Arabia claims 93 ISIS suspects arrested, terror plots foiled

Middle East, News April 28, 2015 , by IRIA No Comments

Saudi authorities say they have foiled Islamic State plans to carry out terrorist attacks including a strike on the US embassy in the capital

RIYADH, (Saudi Arabia) – On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia said it has arrested a total of 93 people with ties to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in recent months, foiling their plans to carry out multiple terrorist attacks, including a strike on the U.S. Embassy in the kingdom’s capital.

The statement said authorities had foiled several ISIS attempts to assassinate a number of members of the military.

Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki said the arrests include a cell of 65 people arrested in March who were involved in a plan that included targeting residential compounds, prisons and security forces.

The arrests have taken place since December last year and most of those detained were Saudis.

Among those held is a 65-strong ISIS-linked group plotting to target “residential areas, and operations to incite sectarian sedition” in attacks similar to the killing of seven members of the minority Shiite community in Eastern Province in November, it said.

The group includes a Palestinian, a Syrian and two stateless people, it added.

Another 15 Saudis formed a group calling itself “Jund Bilad al-Haramain”, or Soldiers of the Land of the Two Holy Mosques in reference to Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest sites, the ministry said.

It said that cell was led by a bomb-making “specialist” and was testing car bombs, planning to attack security headquarters, soldiers and residential areas.

Authorities said they have also arrested two Syrians and a Saudi who had threatened to launch a suicide car attack against the American embassy in Riyadh last month.

U.S. consular services in Saudi Arabia were suspended for a week in March over “heightened security concerns”.

Saudi Arabia is part of the U.S.-led coalition bombing the ISIS in both Iraq and Syria. The group has called on its supporters to launch attacks inside Saudi Arabia