RIYADH // Saudi security forces have arrested 113 suspected al Qa'eda militants in a five-month counter-terrorism operation, the interior ministry said yesterday. A network of 101 extremists included 47 Saudis, as well as Yemenis, Somalis, Bangladeshis and Eritreans. In addition, police arrested two terrorist cells of six men each as they prepared to carry out suicide bombings at oil installations in the kingdom's Eastern Province.
Gen Mansour al Turki, the ministry of interior spokesman, said the larger network and the two suicide cells were not working together and did not know of each other. However, they all were operating under the command of al Qa'eda in the Arabian Peninsula, the al Qa'eda franchise now operating in Yemen. "The whole organisation was established by al Qa'eda in Yemen," Gen Turki said. Most of those arrested are aged between 18 and 25 and were detained in different parts of the country, Gen Turki said. Some of the non-Saudis had entered the country on work visas and others had come with visas for Hajj or umra, he added.
One woman is among those arrested, but Gen Turki said investigators had not yet determined whether she was an active part of the network or just happened to be present in a raided location. The operation began in October when police detained two Saudis wearing explosives, apparently on a suicide bombing mission. The arrests highlight the continuing threat to the kingdom and its vital oil industry from al Qa'eda's branch in Yemen, which was responsible for plotting the near-assassination of the Saudi deputy interior minister, Mohammed bin Nayef, last August. The prince was only slightly injured when a suicide bomber, who had come from Yemen, blew himself up while seated next to the official in his home.
Al Qa'eda in the Arabian Peninsula, a successor organisation to the al Qa'eda network that once existed in Saudi Arabia, said it carried out the attack. It also claimed responsibility for training the Nigerian who tried to blow up a US passenger plane on Christmas Day as it landed in Detroit. This is the not the first time that Saudi officials have announced a large group of arrests. In 2008, the government arrested more than 700 people in the first six months of that year. It later released about 200 of them.
And in 2007, 200 people operating in six separate cells were detained. Gen Turki said that the 113 most recently detained were the result of police investigations that began when two Saudis were stopped at a police checkpoint in the southern province of Jizan near the Yemeni-Saudi border on October 13. The men were dressed like women with their faces hidden by veils. But, according to the interior ministry's account of the incident, when police requested a female colleague to check the identities of the "women", the militants began firing weapons.
Both were killed in the ensuing shoot-out with police, along with one policeman, the ministry said at the time. The ministry also disclosed that the slain men had been wearing explosive vests and that two additional suicide vests were found in their black GMC, which also was transporting machine guns and grenades. This suggested that "there has to be somebody in Saudi Arabia related to this", Gen Turki said in the phone interview yesterday. The investigation that followed eventually led to the recent arrests.
The two extremists killed in October were identified as Rayed Abdullahi Al-Harbi and Yousef Mohammed al Shihri. Both were on a Saudi government most-wanted list issued in February 2009, and al Shihri had spent time at the US detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. cmurphy@thenational.ae
Drivers’ championship standings after Singapore:
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - 263
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari - 235
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes - 212
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull - 162
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari - 138
6. Sergio Perez, Force India - 68
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
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Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
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Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
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Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet
Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.