Saudi Arabia foil ISIS terror attack, kill four terrorists, arrest 13 and seize suicide vests at bomb making factory

  • Saudi Arabia has arrested 13 individuals in connection with planning attacks 
  • It comes a day after the officers stopped an attack near the capital Riyadh
  • Security forces also confirmed that they had killed four alleged IS militants

By Bhvishya Patel For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

Saudi Arabia has arrested 13 individuals in connection with planning attacks in the kingdom, a day after security forces said they had thwarted an attack near the capital.

The arrest comes after Islamic State claimed responsibility for Sunday's attempted attack on a state security building in Zulfi, a small city about 250 km (155 miles) northwest of the capital.

Security forces have also confirmed that they had killed four alleged Islamic State militants who had planned Sunday's attack, according to state news agency Saudi Press Agency (SPA). 

Saudi Arabia police have arrested 13 individuals in connection a planned terrorist attack north of the capital. (Stock image)

 Saudi Arabia police have arrested 13 individuals in connection a planned terrorist attack north of the capital. (Stock image)

Following the arrests, police also confirmed that they had killed four alleged Islamic State militants who had planned Sunday's attack. (Stock image)

Following the arrests, police also confirmed that they had killed four alleged Islamic State militants who had planned Sunday's attack. (Stock image)

According to reports, the attempted terrorist attack was being planned for the Interior Ministry building in the al-Zulfi suburb in Riyadh.

Following the arrests, the terrorists were identified as Saudi militants who belonged to the terrorist organisation ISIS.

On Sunday, police forces raided a nearby rest-house they said the militants had rented for use as a bomb factory, and seized suicide vests, homemade bombs, Kalashnikov rifles and Islamic State publications. 

Also among the items seized were five explosive belts, organic fertiliser and two laptops. 

Islamic State said that they were behind the planned attack on a state security building in al-Zulfi

Islamic State said that they were behind the planned attack on a state security building in al-Zulfi 

Over the years, the terrorist group has begun to lose its last stronghold in Syria. (Stock image)

Over the years, the terrorist group has begun to lose its last stronghold in Syria. (Stock image)

After crushing an al-Qaeda insurgency over a decade ago, deadly bombings and shootings have been carried out by Islamic State against security forces and minority Shi'ite Muslims in Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter.

Islamic State and al Qaeda have for years criticised the leadership of the Western-allied kingdom, accusing it of deviating from their strict interpretation of Islam and advancing the interests of their U.S. enemies. 

The arrests comes as the terrorist group begins to lose their last stronghold in Syria after taking it over in 2014. 

In March, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces announced a victory over the ISIS 'caliphate' but claimed the fight had not yet ended.

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