RIYADH – Saudi Security agencies have arrested a further eight people, including two police officers, in nationwide raids to track down those involved in the terror attack in Al-Ahsa on Monday.
Masked gunmen had mowed down seven people in Dalwah village in Al-Ahsa late Monday night. In follow-up operations, two security officers and three terrorists were killed. The terrorists had earlier shot and killed a citizen for his car to use in their operations. The total number of dead now stands at 13.
Security teams had launched raids simultaneously in Riyadh, Qassim and the Eastern Province. Officers arrested a man, who did not offer any resistance, in the east of the capital city. There was a heavy police presence on several main intersections in Riyadh on Thursday.
Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said police operations were carried out in six governorates including Riyadh, Shaqra, Alkhobar, Al-Ahsa, Bade’ and Bareeda. He said officers arrested the eight people, which included the two police officers, based on circumstantial evidence. There are 15 other people in custody in connection with the crime.
Al-Turki said among those being held include four people who were arrested in Al-Ahsa, one in Alkhobar, three in Shaqra, four in Bareeda, two in Al-Bade’ and two in Riyadh.
Meanwhile, the father of the slain security officer, Cpl. Turki Al-Rasheed, said he received the news of his son’s death at sunset on Wednesday. The father said his brother brought him the news. He said Turki had left his house in Hail to join his unit in Qassim at 2 a.m. on Tuesday.
He said his son died for a noble cause because he was defending his country. Turki served in military units at Qassim and Hafr Al-Baten over the past 15 years. He married last year and has a daughter Norah, who is just five months old. He thanked Hail’s governor for attending the funeral.
Capt. Muhammad Al-Enezi, the other officer who died in the attack, had survived a previous terror attack in Al-Ras shortly after he joined the military 10 years ago, his relatives said.
