Saudi police arrest al-Qaeda affiliates in their way to Yemen

Saudi security forces foiled on Friday evening an attempt by two associate members of a Saudi-based al-Qaeda cell trying to infiltrate Yemen in the Dawaser checkpoint, west of Riyadh
A security official said that the two al-Qaeda associates aimed to join Yemen based al-Qaeda, known as al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)

Saudi security forces said the main member of the cell, called al-Bighdadi, was disguised in women’s clothing and was killed when he initiated a firefight at the checkpoint while those accompanying him in the car were arrested. The driver of the car, a man of 17 years, is said to have been recruited by al-Bighdadi, lead to information that al-Bighdadi, from Jeddah city, contacted him three months ago and has links with local from Jazan area in which he planned the infiltration.

The Interior Ministry would provide during a few days a detailed account of the incident once it is available.

The Saudi Interior Ministry had announced on the last 24th of March that security forces broke up an al-Qaeda cell of 113 members who were planning to conduct attacks against western and government targets in Saudi Arabia and the region. Saudi and Yemeni two branches of al-Qaeda announced in January 2009 their merger which went by the name al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). They chose Yemen mainly in the eastern and southern parts of Yemen as a launching pad for attacks against government and western targets.