RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 6 (UPI) -- Following a relative lull in terrorist operations, al-Qaida is trying to resurface in Saudi Arabia, home of its leader Osama bin Laden.
The Saudi authorities announced in the past two days they have rounded up dozens of suspected al-Qaida operatives in the oil-rich desert kingdom who had planned attacks against government officials and public employees.
Saudi police have been resorting to new techniques in the open war against extremist activists, including pre-emptive strikes which helped seize 136 members of the "stray category," the official term used to designate al-Qaida members.
The pro-government Saudi Okaz daily reported Wednesday that "a series of pre-emptive security acts by Saudi police resulted in dismantling a terrorist gang comprising 136 members and aborting a terrorist attack against civilian targets."
The paper said an attack by a suicide bomber driving a booby-trapped car was supposed to take place sometime during the Muslim fasting holy month of Ramadan last October and November.
"The would-be suicide bomber, a 22-year-old man, was not informed of the civilian installation he was supposed to attack, but he was told to be prepared for an imminent operation," the paper quoted security sources as saying.
The sources said among the 136 terrorist suspects seized last June, seven had been trained in Iraq and returned to Saudi Arabia to carry out terrorist operations.
The suspects included 115 Saudis and 21 foreigners, whose nationalities were not identified.
