Raid Qusti, Riyadh Bureau Chief

RIYADH, 3 July 2003 — Saudi police yesterday apprehended another militant allegedly linked to the May 12 suicide bombings in Riyadh. Zafer Abdul Rahman Al-Shihri was arrested Tuesday night in an abandoned house in the southern province of Al-Namas, the Saudi Press Agency said, adding that he was found with 50 automatic rifles, ammunition, a personal computer and fake identification papers.

According to the Al-Watan daily, Al-Shihri was holding a loaded gun at the time of his arrest, but he put up no resistance.

Police and tribal leader of Al-Namas area searched for the suspect for three days and became suspicious of someone who had taken up residence in an abandoned house in a village called Al-Khaderah, according to the head of the police Brig. Gen. Ali Al-Hazmi.

When it was discovered that the man was a suspected terrorist on the run, the police contacted his father and brother so they could persuade him to surrender.

Al-Shihri had evaded police Saturday when they tried to arrest him at work. He allegedly shot and wounded a police officer, SPA reported.

On Sunday, a state helicopter crashed while chasing Al-Shihri, wounding 10 soldiers on board.

Al-Shihri is wanted for assisting 19 suspected militants who belong to the group behind the May 12 suicide attacks on foreigners’ housing compounds in Riyadh, which killed 26 people, most of whom were foreigners.

Last month, Saudi security forces raided an apartment in Makkah, where they found members of a terror cell that was allegedly planning to stage attacks in the holy city.

Saudi authorities have launched an extensive manhunt for Islamic militants and their sympathizers. On Tuesday, Interior Minister Prince Naif said police had arrested 124 people, including some linked to Al-Qaeda.

Prince Naif called for looking at the grass roots of stringent ideas that are awry of the mainstream of our moderate religion that Saudi Arabia takes as its constitution.

“We have witnessed the criminal acts of some of our youth, who are citizens of this country; they have killed people, and have destroyed property, and have terrified families...,” he said. “We need to ask: Did the source of this ideology come from this land or was it imported from outside? Was it the result of fanatical ideas from people who have been brainwashed? Or is it a combination of factors, inside and out?”