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Saudi Arabia arrests 431 IS members, foils mosque attacks

Xinhua, July 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

Saudi Interior Ministry announced on Saturday that it has arrested 431 Islamic State (IS) members and foiled terrorist attacks against mosques during Ramadan, Al Arabiya reported.

The arrestees, most of them Saudis, are members of the largest busted IS cell in the country. Among the arrestees were Yemenis, Egyptians, Jordanians, Algerians, Nigerians and Chadians, the report said.

The ministry said in a statement that the foiled terrorist attempts included a suicide attack targeting a mosque of the Special Emergency Forces in Riyadh in the night of Ramadan, June 26.

The ministry added that security and government facilities and a diplomatic mission were also in the hit list, without specifying details.

The ministry said it has also arrested 144 people for promoting extremist and terrorist thoughts in the social media.

Saudi Arabia has been engaged in a war against terrorism and extremism by fighting the IS cells in the country. Endit