Jeddah, Riyadh – Saudi Security Forces foiled major terror attempts by storming two hideouts of terrorist cells in Jeddah on Saturday.
The first operation, in al-Harazat District, resulted in two terrorists blowing themselves up after refusing to surrender to the security forces.
While in the second security operation in al-Nasim district, a Saudi national Hussam Bin al-Juhani and a Pakistani woman Fatimah Baloch were arrested
The security spokesman of the Ministry of Interior, Maj-Gen. Mansour al-Turki, said Saudi security forces surrounded a house in Jeddah’s eastern al-Harazat district and exchanged fire with the men, who blew themselves up after refusing to surrender to police calls.
The hideout at Harazat was used as a lab for making explosive belts and bombs.
He added that the man arrested at the second hideout, in Nasim District, was linked to those in the al-Harazat property.
The terrorist claimed the Pakistani women was his wife. In the apartment, the security men found a machine gun, a bag primed with explosives and other items.
Security authorities are still collecting evidence from the two locations and conducting investigations with the arrested persons. All details and identities of the terrorists will be announced later, Turki added.
The preemptive operation is yet another defeat for ISIS Jeddah cell, after Saudi authorities managed over the past two years to arrest several terrorists who were planning to target several facilities in the kingdom.
Two weeks ago, another preemptive strike led to the death of two terrorists in Yasmin neighborhood in Riyadh, one of which was an expert in making explosive belts.
In September 2015, security forces discovered a place for manufacturing explosive belts in Dhurma district. Few weeks after that, the forces also arrest a Syrian national who took a Filipina captive to help make explosive belts. This became known as the Fayhaa district cell, where ISIS resorts to using women as part of its camouflage.
The Ministry of Interior thwarted a number of terrorist operations by carrying out preemptive strikes which led to the arrest of 566 of ISIS supporters and sympathizers forming eight terrorist cells. They included six women and five experts in manufacturing explosives and explosive vests. Six labs for manufacturing explosive were also busted.