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Saudi Arabia captures IS terrorist cell in Riyadh

Xinhua, September 16, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Saudi Interior Ministry announced Wednesday the capture of an Islamic State (IS) terrorist militant cell in two areas in Riyadh, Saudi Press Agency reported.

The bust in two separate security operations led to the arrest of two brothers, 21 and 19 years old, and the confiscation of cash along with large quantities of weapons, including an explosive belt. An explosive-manufacturing lab was also discovered.

Interior Ministry spokesperson, Major-General Mansoor Al Turki, said that an investigation was launched over the suspicious movements of a group of people in two locations, where police raided the locations following confirmation of information of weapons-possession.

Police forces evacuated nearby homes close to the first location prior to the raid, where the two suspects resisted the arrest, hurling hand bombs at police forces until their eventual arrest.

Suspects in the second location managed to escape with a stolen car, and police forces refrained from chasing them in the residential area for the public's safety, highlighted the spokesperson, noting that the search is ongoing for their arrest.

These two operations were part of various efforts to tackle the IS threat following several terrorist attacks, including two suicide blasts which targeted Shiite mosques in May, and a Sunni mosque in August.

The ministry announced in July that its agencies succeeded in foiling four mosque attacks during the Holy Muslim month of Ramadan and arrested 431 IS members. Endit