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Saudis 'hold 170 terror suspects' Saudis foil 'air attack plotters'
(about 1 hour later)
More than 170 terror suspects have been arrested in Saudi Arabia, officials there have said. Saudi Arabia says it has foiled a plot by militants to carry out suicide air attacks on oil installations and military bases.
Those detained are said to be both Saudi and foreign nationals, Interior Ministry spokesman Gen Mansur al-Turki told local media. Foreign nationals were among 172 terror suspects held in a series of raids, the interior ministry said on state TV.
Large amounts of weapons and $5.33m (£2.67m) in cash were also seized. Large amounts of weapons and $32.4m (£16.21m) in cash were also seized.
Some of the suspects were training as pilots and planning attacks on oil installations and military bases, according to the interior ministry. The Saudi authorities have been battling al-Qaeda since a wave of bombings and shootings in the kingdom in 2003.
"Some have begun training on the use of weapons, and some were sent to other countries to study aviation in preparation to use them to carry out terrorist operations inside the kingdom," a ministry statement read out on state TV channel al-Ekhbariya said. 'Deviant group'
The station broadcast footage of various types of weapons which were said to have been buried in the desert. "Some [militants] have begun training on the use of weapons, and some were sent to other countries to study aviation in preparation to use them to carry out terrorist operations inside the kingdom," a ministry statement read out on state TV channel al-Ekhbariya said.
Saudi Arabia has been battling al-Qaeda-linked militants since a 2003 wave of suicide attacks on foreigners. Some of the military targets were outside the kingdom, it added, without specifying where.
The station broadcast footage of various types of weapons, including plastic explosives, ammunition cartridges, handguns and rifles wrapped in plastic sheeting, which were said to have been buried in the desert.
"The deviant group is linked to foreign elements and takes advantage of trouble spots outside the kingdom in planning, recruitment and training," interior ministry spokesman Gen Mansur al-Turki told local media, apparently referring to Iraq.
He added: "Some individuals were training to fly to carry out terrorist attacks... Some of the cells arrested planned to target oil installations and refineries."
Militants were trying to resume efforts to undermine security and target the Saudi economy, Gen Turki said.