One of the most wanted militants, suspected to be involved in the bombing of the Special Emergency Forces’ Mosque in Asir, has been arrested, the Interior Ministry announced on Sunday.
The ministry also revealed the identities of two other men killed in a foiled "terror attack" in the southwestern Bisha province on Friday.
The arrested suspect, Oqab Al-Otaibi, is defendant number five on the ministry’s wanted list of nine suspects, which was announced early in February. The government had announced a reward of SR1 million for information leading to the arrest of one suspect and SR5 million for the arrest of more than one man.
Besides the Asir bombing in August last year, he was allegedly involved in shooting at worshippers in Al-Mustafa Mosque in Al-Dalwa, participating in "terror activities" organized by the Darmaa cell and murdering Brig. Katab Majed Katab Al-Hamadi Al-Otaibi.
Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman of the ministry, said the announcement of Al-Otaibi’s capture comes as a follow-up to last Friday's shooting in Bisha. “The two terrorists who were killed in the shootout were Abdulaziz Ahmed Mohammed Al-Bakri Al-Shihri, 33, and Yasser Yousef Ali Al-Houdi, 21.”
Al-Shihri was also on the list of most wanted for his involvement in the Asir mosque bombing and the killing of Brig Al-Otaibi, said Al-Turki. He was wearing an explosives belt, which was deactivated by experts, and also had a machine gun.
Al-Houdi was a specialist in making IEDs and explosive belts, and was also wanted for his involvement in the death of Brig. Al-Otaibi, said Al-Turki.
Security forces said they found arms, ammunition and cash from the possessions of the two suspects.
By Mohammed Al-Sulami
