P.K. Abdul Ghafour • Arab News Staff

JEDDAH, 27 August 2003 — Security officers found large caches of explosives and weapons in raids following shootouts with suspected militants earlier this month, it was announced yesterday.

An Interior Ministry spokesman said police found large caches of explosives, rocket-propelled grenades, hand grenades, ammunition and machineguns left behind by militants after the gun battles which took place on Aug. 11 and Aug. 12 in Riyadh.

The ministry stressed that it would continue the crack down on suspected militants in its bid to stamp out terrorist cells and arrest instigators, financiers and protectors of terrorists.

Separate raids on suspected hideouts in Makkah and in the southern Jizan region earlier in August had also uncovered caches of explosives and weapons, the spokesman said.

“In these operations, some people were arrested and investigations are still going on,” the spokesman said without giving further details.

The Kingdom has stepped up its campaign against suspected militants following the triple suicide bombings at housing compounds in Riyadh on May 12 when 35 people, including nine terrorists, were killed.

Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, has urged Saudis to give their full cooperation to the Kingdom-wide crackdown on militants, and warned that sitting on the fence was not an option.

“In the decisive battle between the powers of good and evil, there is no place for neutrality and no room for stragglers. There is only one path open to honorable believers, which is to stand shoulder to shoulder against the corrupt aggressors in the holiest places on Earth — Makkah and Madinah,” the crown prince said in an address to the nation last week.

Prince Abdullah warned the public against harboring suspected terrorists. “Those who protect or even just sympathize with terrorists are themselves terrorists, and they will receive their just punishment,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted him as saying.

“I am calling on every citizen to be a pillar of support to security officers, and to be the eyes, ears and hands of security officers,” he said, and declared the Kingdom would emerge victorious in its war on terrorism.

Prince Abdullah called the security officers who died in the confrontation with militants “martyrs.” He said the state would take care of their families and children.

“Without your sacrifices, the terrorists would not have been defeated,” the crown prince said in a speech in which he hailed the bravery displayed by Saudi security forces in the battle against militants.

Meanwhile, Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, yesterday received tribal chiefs from Najran, who condemned the terrorist attacks in the Kingdom. They pledged their complete support to the state’s efforts to fight terror.

The ministry spokesman said security officers had found eight hand grenades, a machine gun, a number of mobile phones and various currencies in addition to a large quantity of explosives at a rest house in Riyadh.

“They also found one kilogram of highly explosive RDX and detonation devices inside a car left by the militants,” the spokesman said, adding that the explosives were ready to use.

Police had also located a car used by another group of militants who fled after a shootout in the Shabra district of Riyadh on Aug. 12. In a raid after the incident police found surveillance cameras, telecommunication devices, 37 bullet-proof vests, electronic and electric equipment and mobile chips.

Police have also found at least 10 rocket propelled grenades, the spokesman said.