The Ministry of Interior today announced the arrest of 17 suspects in three terror cells who were involved in ‎past terror attacks and were plotting future attacks in Saudi Arabia. The terror cells constituted a terror ‎network linked to Daesh (ISIL) and were arrested in an operation that included a series of raids conducted ‎over several months.‎

Authorities seized pipe bombs, guns, ammunition, suicide vests and bomb-making materials in the raids. ‎Ministry of Interior spokesman Major General Mansour Al-Turki said the terrorist cells had a list of targets ‎that included civilians, religious scholars and security officers as well as the locations of military installations ‎and economic targets. He said the suspects were found to have provided Daesh with media and electronic ‎support.‎

The suspects arrested included 14 Saudis, a Yemeni, a Palestinian and an Egyptian. Those arrested were ‎additionally accused of producing explosive belts and cans to be used during their operations, providing ‎sanctuary to wanted individuals, supporting terrorists with money and weapons and moving them to Saudi ‎Arabia, tracking targeted areas, providing electronic and media support for Daesh, and communicating with ‎Daesh leaders.‎

The raids disrupted several ongoing operations by the cells, some of which were in the advanced stages of ‎preparation, including: a planned attack targeting a member of Ministry of Defense in Riyadh by attaching a ‎bomb to his car; an imminent attack targeting public security students in training by placing an explosive ‎device at the entrance to the training facility; two planned suicide bombings using explosive-belts. ‎

Those arrested also included individuals who provides material support to suicide bombers, ‎including provided the explosies for the the attack on Al-Imam Al-Reda Mosque in Al-Mahasen District ‎of Al-Ahsa Governorate on January 29, 2016 while worshipers were performing Friday Prayer; bombing a ‎vehicle of a security officer in Riaydh on February 8, 2016; a failed attempt to blow ‎up an oil ‎pipeline on May 5, 2016; and harbaring the murdere of retired General Ahmed Fayea Asiri prior to ‎coming his act on Feb. 15, 2016‎

The Ministry of Interior identified the terror suspects as:‎
‎1.‎ Ahmed Mohamed Ahmed Albanawi Asiri (Saudi national)‎
‎2.‎ Osama Abdullah Sarsour (Palestinian ‎national)‎
‎3.‎ Ismail Saadi Albishri (Saudi national)‎
‎4.‎ ‎Hamad Abdullah Mohammed Almosa (Saudi national)‎
‎5.‎ Khaled Mashaal Khaled Al-Otaibi (Saudi national)‎
‎6.‎ Kholoud Mohamed Mansour Alrukaibi (Saudi national)‎
‎7.‎ ‎Khalid Ahmed Saad Almalik (Saudi national)‎
‎8.‎ ‎ Sultan Bakhit Bandar Al-Otaibi (Saudi national)‎
‎9.‎ Abdul Rahman Fares Amer Almarri (‎Yemeni national)‎
‎10.‎ ‎Abdullah Abdul Rahman Twairish ‎Altwairish (Saudi national)‎
‎11.‎ ‎Abdullah Saleh Salman Alshammari ‎‎(Saudi national)‎
‎12.‎ ‎Omar Abdu Abdel-Hamid Alzoghbi ‎‎(Egyptian national)‎
‎13.‎ Mohammad Fahd Mohammed Al-‎Qahtani (Saudi national)‎
‎14.‎ ‎Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed ‎Alahmari (Saudi national)‎
‎15.‎ Nasser Mohammed Mansour ‎Alrukaibi (Saudi national)‎
‎16.‎ ‎Naif Nafi Hakim Albishri (Saudi ‎national)‎
‎17.‎ Nassar Abdullah Mohammed Almosa ‎‎(Saudi national)‎