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| Arabia |
| Saudi Arabia says ISIS ordered attack in Al Ahsa |
| 2014-11-25 |
| Saudi Arabia has arrested the four main suspects in an attack on Shias this month and believes it was ordered by ISIS militants from abroad, the state news agency cited an Interior Ministry security spokesman as saying on Monday. Seven members of the Shia minority were shot dead in the Eastern Province district of Al Ahsa on November 3 as they marked their holy day of Ashoura. Saudi Arabia put down an upsurge of Islamist militancy a decade ago, but fears that militant groups such as ISIS or the Al Qaeda affiliate Nusra Front now operating in Syria or Iraq will radicalise Saudis to mount a new wave of strikes inside the kingdom. Last week, the ministry said militants were trying to attack Saudi Arabia, but that it was not aware of any evidence that the Al Ahsa attack had been coordinated with ISIS. On Monday, the ministry spokesman said 77 suspects had been arrested so far, and that they were believed to include the four main perpetrators. He said the leader of the Al Ahsa attack had received orders from abroad, and that "the target, as well as those to be targeted and the timing were all specified for him, as well as the provision that the (attack) be carried out in Al Ahsa". The leader had picked three followers, and these had scouted out the target, seized a car, killed its owner, and used it in the attack. The spokesman said security forces had arrested "everyone who is affiliated to this terrorist group, whether those who pledged allegiance to the leader of the group, or participants, supporters, financiers, or those who provide cover". Two Saudis and a Qatari were killed as they resisted arrest, along with two security officers, the ministry said. Authorities had already said that among the detainees were people believed to have fought for Sunni militants in Syria or who had previously been jailed for fighting for Al Qaeda. |
| Posted by:Steve White |