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| Saudi raids net 136 'militants' | Saudi raids net 136 'militants' |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Authorities in Saudi Arabia announced the arrest of 136 suspected militants, including a potential suicide bomber. | Authorities in Saudi Arabia announced the arrest of 136 suspected militants, including a potential suicide bomber. |
| The arrests were made over the last few months in several cities, the interior ministry said. They included members of several al-Qaeda-type cells. | The arrests were made over the last few months in several cities, the interior ministry said. They included members of several al-Qaeda-type cells. |
| The militants are suspected of trying to bring down the Saudi royal family with attacks on Western targets. | The militants are suspected of trying to bring down the Saudi royal family with attacks on Western targets. |
| An interior ministry spokesman told the BBC 115 of the suspects were Saudi nationals - the rest were foreigners. | An interior ministry spokesman told the BBC 115 of the suspects were Saudi nationals - the rest were foreigners. |
| Militants began a campaign in Saudi Arabia in 2003 with attacks on Western housing compounds, but violence has declined in the last couple of years in the face of tough security measures. | |
| The only known attempted operation by Islamic militants this year was a foiled attack against the country's largest and most important oil facility, says the BBC's correspondent in Cairo, Heba Saleh. | |
| Religious decrees | |
| The Saudi interior ministry spokesman, General Mansoor al-Turki, said some of the militant groups had been about to carry out attacks in Saudi Arabia while others were still in the preparatory stages. | |
| He said the authorities had waited to announce the arrests until all the suspects had been rounded up. | |
| Eight cells had been disrupted, Mr Turki said. | |
| Some of those arrested were recruiting others to fight in "unstable countries". | |
| Others were allegedly recruiting militants to be trained abroad and then sent back to Saudi Arabia to carry out attacks. | |
| Some detainees carried religious decrees giving them permission to kill and injure people, kidnap people for ransom and rob banks. |