On Tuesday, Bahraini authorities said they had arrested 28 people who had been planning attacks in villages in the kingdom. The interior ministry did not name the detainees, say when they were held or elaborate on the nature of the planned attacks.“The investigation interrupted and dismantled a number of terrorist operations planned in various villages,” state news agency BNA quoted the ministry as saying.
“The investigation included the tracking of individuals and the monitoring of their safe houses,” it added.
The ministry said some of those detained had already been convicted on terrorism charges in absentia and had been sentenced to life terms in jail, while others had had their citizenships revoked.
It said that cell was led by a bomb-making “specialist” and was testing car bombs, planning to attack security headquarters, soldiers and residential areas.
Nine other Saudis, among them a woman, were arrested for allegedly promoting “terrorist organisations” on social networks and trying to “lure young people” to send them to conflict zones, among other activities. They had threatened to bomb government headquarters and residential areas, and “used the woman in a failed attempt to lure a military official and assassinate him”.
Two other Saudis were arrested separately.