(WASHINGTON, DC) – The Ministry of Interior of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia today announced the arrest of 431 suspects as part of an intensified crackdown on suspected terror cells linked to Daesh (ISIS). Attacks on mosques, security and government installations and a diplomatic mission were thwarted.

Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki said that the arrests occurred over the past few weeks.  A majority of the terror suspects were Saudi citizens. Other nationalities included Yemeni, Egyptian, Syrian, Jordanian, Algerian, Nigerian, and Chadian as well as some whose nationalities remains unknown.

Alleged offenses included smuggling explosives, surveying potential attack sites, providing transport and material support to bombers, smuggling in explosives from abroad and manufacturing suicide vests.

Gen. Al-Turki also outlined several thwarted operations planned during the holy month of Ramadan, including: 

• A suicide attack using explosive belts targeting the mosque of the special emergency forces in Riyadh.

• Suicide attacks aimed at a number of mosques in the Eastern Province to be carried out on consecutive Fridays and coordinated with assassinations of security personnel patrolling the roads.

• Field surveillance of the headquarters of a diplomatic mission with the aim of targeting it and efforts to identify the housing headquarters of a number of security personnel as part of a plot to assassinate them.

• Operations targeting security and government installations in Sharourah in Najran Province.

Thirty-seven people were martyred in the operations against these terrorist cells, including government security personnel and civilians, and 120 security officials and private citizens were injured. Six terrorists were killed.

Saudi Arabia continues to develop innovative and effective strategies to pursue the men, money and mindset that support terrorism and extremism.