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Arabia

Saudi Arabia confirms death of judge Mohammed Al-Jirani

2017-12-26

[ARABNEWS] Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... ’s Ministry of Interior has confirmed that Saudi judge Sheikh Mohammed al-Jirani, whose body was found in the Eastern Province's al-Awwamia area on Dec. 19, was killed by his kidnappers. Spokesman Major-General Mansour al-Turki further said that al-Jirani, a judge at the Department of Endowments and Inheritance, was kidnapped in front of his house in the area of Tarout on Dec. 13, 2016. Based on an investigation into the abduction and death of al-Jirani, the front man confirmed that the perpetrators who kidnapped the judge also killed him and concealed his body on a deserted farm. He identified the perpetrators as Zaki Mohammed Salman al-Faraj and his half-brother Salman bin Ali Salman al-Faraj, who is featured on a list of 23 wanted persons announced in January 2012. Kidnapper Salman al-Faraj was killed during the raid on their location last Tuesday, while Special Forces officer Khalid al-Sameti also died during the operation. Al-Turki said that Sherlocks covered a 2,000,000 square-meter area in order to find the body of the judge. He added that a DNA test had confirmed that the body was indeed that of al-Jirani and noted the presence of a bullet wound in his chest. According to the ministry, al-Jirani was tortured before he was killed and buried in the remote location. The ministry called on those who have information on the wanted persons involved in this crime to immediately notify the authorities and named them as Mohammed Husain Ali al-Ammar, Haitham Ali Mohammed al-Qiddaih and Ali Bilal Saud al-Hamad. For his part, Minister of Justice Walid al-Samani offered his condolences to al-Jirani’s family. He strongly condemned the murder and described it as an unforgivable crime, adding that those found to be involved in the crime will be brought to justice.

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Arabia

Two Saudi guards killed in attack on royal palace in Jeddah

2017-10-08

[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Two Saudi guards were rubbed out and three others injured on Saturday after a man drove up to the western gate of the royal palace in Jeddah and began shooting, the interior ministry said in a statement carried by state news. A security front man of the Ministry of the Interior said the attack happened at 3:15 pm local time when a person began shooting at the post from a car. The shooter was immediately dealt with by the Royal Guard soldiers, resulting in his death. At least three other officers were maimed during Saturday’s attack. Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... ’s interior ministry has identified the two soldiers killed on Saturday as Agent Sergeant Hammad bin Shallah al-Mutairi and First Soldier Abdullah bin Faisal al-Subaie. Corporal Walid bin Ali Shami and First soldiers Ahmad Saleh al-Qarni and Abdullah Hindi al-Subaie were maimed in the attack and are receiving necessary treatment. According to the Interior Ministry's security front man, investigations into the incident identified the shooter as Mansour bin Hassan bin Ali al-Fahid al-Amiri, a 28-year-old Saudi national. A Kalashnikov gun and thee Molotov bombs were found on his person after the attack. Speaking to Al Arabiya News Channel, Saudi Interior Ministry Spokesperson Mansour al-Turki confirmed the external guard post was located on a public street. An investigation into the shooter’s motives and links are currently ongoing, he added.

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Arabia

Soddy soldier dies in land mine attack in Asir

2017-07-25

Abha-A Saudi soldier has died from his injuries after a landmine exploded near his patrol unit near the border region of Asir province. Major General Mansour al-Turki, the security spokesman at the Interior Ministry, said the incident took place at 7 am local time on Sunday during a routine operation of a border patrol unit at the Maseel border post in Asir, according to SPA. “A landmine exploded, resulting in the death of soldier Ati bin Mardad al-Jadaani,” Turki said.

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Arabia

Soddy Kops hit in IED detonation in al-Awamiya

2017-06-01

Dammam- A police patrol was targeted by an improvised explosive device (IED) in al-Awamiya, leaving two security officials injured and causing damages to the vehicle. The terrorist act happened two weeks after a security armored vehicle was targeted with a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG). Security Spokesman of the Saudi Ministry of Interior Major General Mansour al-Turki has said that “further to the statement issued on May 16 on the martyrdom of a security man and the injury of five others as a result of their patrol being hit by an RPG while performing their duties in maintaining the public order in the surrounding area of al-Masoura neighborhood in Qatif Governorate, a security patrol was attacked by an IED on Monday while it was carrying out its tasks near the roundabout of the Rif neighborhood in al-Awamiya in Qatif.” The blast resulted in the injury of two security men who were taken to hospital. “The security authorities have launched an investigation into that terrorist crime, which is still under security follow-up,” the spokesman added. Turki told Asharq Al-Awsat that these terrorists are carrying out what they are told to do from abroad, including staying in abandoned houses in the neighborhood of al-Masoura and using them to store weapons and explosives, which constitute a very serious threat to the lives of citizens and residents. In early November 2016, the Interior Ministry added Mahmoud Ali Abdullah to its wanted list, which includes eight other individuals wanted by Saudi security.

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Arabia

2 Soddy NCOs die in land mine attack

2017-04-29

Riyadh – The Saudi Ministry of Interior announced the martyrdom of two Saudi sergeants due to a landmine explosion and projectiles from the Yemeni territories that targeted a patrol of the border guards in Jazan Region. “The incident resulted in the martyrdom of Jaber Ahmad Yatimi and Vice Sergeant Mohammed Musa Jaber al-Raithi,” Security Spokesman of the Interior Ministry Major General Mansour al-Turki was quoted as saying. He added that relevant authorities have launched investigations. Saudi security authorities and the armed forces have been confronting military operations of rebels inside the Yemeni territories. Saudi Arabia intercepted ballistic missiles, determined their locations and targeted them.

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Arabia

2 gunmen die in Soddy raid in Awamiya

2017-03-30

[Asharq Al-Awsat] Saudi security forces killed two men who opened fire on police during a raid on a farm in eastern Saudi Arabia used by militants to plot and prepare for attacks, the interior ministry said on Wednesday. The Mokhtar Brigades, a little known militant group based in neighboring Bahrain, identified the two men as Meqdad al-Nimr and Mohammed al-Nimr, describing them as “martyrs”. Also, four other Saudis were arrested following the clash yesterday morning, the ministry said in a statement carried by state news agency SPA. Those arrested were reported to be Abdelrahman Fadel Abdallah al-Abdalaal, Mohammad Jaafar Abdallah al-Abdalaal, Jaafar Mohammad AlFarj, and Wasfi Ali Makki al-Qaroos. The statement confirmed that all those killed and arrested were “Saudis who have previous precedents to have been linked and involved in terrorist acts and criminal attacks, no citizens or security forces were injured in the operation.” SPA said security forces came under fire while conducting a search in a farm outside the town of Awamiya. “The source of gun fire was dealt with immediately and neutralized and the mission was completed successfully,” the statement said, adding that four other people with a history of involvement in “terrorist and criminal acts” had been arrested. No policemen or innocent citizens were hurt in the raid, it said. Photos were circulated of one of the two men with two bullet holes in the back and one in the head. After searching both farms, security forces found 130 gallons of burning acid, bomb building materials, a gallon of potassium, three machine gun storage areas, seventy-one rounds of ammunition and a black mask. Ynet adds: Saudi police say they have killed two people in a shootout in an area heavily populated by minority Shiites that has been a flashpoint of anti-government protests and unrest. Saudi Interior Minister Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki described the two men on Wednesday as terrorists who were wanted by police. The ministry says their names are Mohammed al-Nimr and Meqdad al-Ni

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Arabia

Saudi Arabia dismantles four ISIS cells, arrests 18 individuals

2017-02-17

[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... has dismantled at least four Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) cells made up of 18 individuals inside the kingdom, officials from the interior ministry confirmed. Fifteen of those tossed in the clink You have the right to remain silent... were Saudi nationals while the remaining three were from Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of. Except for a tiny handfull of Jews everthing there is very Islamic... and Sudan, the ministry said in statements made on Thursday. The ministry also said that ISIS cells in Saudi Arabia have spread to Mecca, Medina, Riyadh and Qassim regions of the country. In addition, nearly two million riyals were confiscated from the cells upon arrest. "Some of those arrested were involved with supplying materials to the ISIS cells in the al-Yasmeen cells in Riyadh and others were linked to the two suicide kaboomers in Harazat rest area of Jeddah, both of which were dismantled in recent months," said Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki, spokesperson for Saudi Arabia’s interior ministry.

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Arabia

Saudi Arabia says mosque attack planner was one of two killed in shootout

2017-01-09

More on this story from yesterday. [Ynet] Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... says the man who planned a suicide kaboom in July outside of the mosque where the Prophet Muhammad is buried is one of the two murderous Moslems killed in a shootout with police in Riyadh. Interior Ministry front man Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki said Taie bin Salem bin Yaslam al-Saya'ari was killed Saturday by police in the capital's northern Yasmeen neighborhood. The July 4 bombing outside of the Medina mosque killed four Saudi security force members and maimed five. Millions of Moslems from around the world visit the mosque every year as part of their pilgrimage to Mecca.

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Arabia

Saudi defense industry is a national priority

2017-01-01

[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The Sultanate of Oman’s decision to join the Saudi-led anti- terrorism coalition is a welcome development and a major boost to the 40-nation Islamic Military Alliance created on Dec. 15, 2015 to enhance regional security. ISIS, al-Qaeda and affiliates continue to take advantage of the fragile political and security climate across the region to gain more influence and territorial control. Major General Mansour al-Turki, an Interior Ministry spokesperson, recently told news hounds that more than 2,000 Saudis are currently fighting in the ranks of faceless myrmidons abroad and that over 70 percent of them are stationed in Syria. The report is an alarming reminder of the urgent need for military preparedness to combat the threat of terrorism within Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... and abroad. Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, second deputy premier and minister of defense, stated that Saudi Vision 2030 includes plans to boost the military industry and to raise the level of security services within the Saudi army. He stated that the Kingdom would be restructuring many military deals to be linked to Saudi manufacturing. He also added, that the Kingdom is in the process of establishing a holding company for military industries. He said, "It will be later in the Saudi market, also for ’transparency’, so a citizen can know the military deals, the company’s performance, sales, deals and industries very clearly." Developing a strong Saudi defense industry is a national priority. Foreign military assistance In line with the new vision and the alarming threat of terrorism, seeking military cooperation with major industrial powers is critical to prevent dangerous situations. The drive for self-dependency and the setting up of our own parameters of defense is a step in the right direction. It is time we build our own defense mechanisms. For years, we have been entirely dependent on foreign military assistance and that has weakened our status in the global community and has allowed many to take advantage of our vulnerability. The new vision opens doors for us to import and develop our own indigenous technology to suit our needs and environment. The official visit of the high-level delegation of the Italian frigate Nave Carabiniere on Dec. 28 to the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry presented an opportunity for our business community to view state-of-the-art naval ships and products. The commanding officer La Belle Francesco Pagnotta explained that the purpose of the visit was to foster cooperation and to demonstrate the newest and most advanced navy projects that are not only for military purposes but also for civilian tasks that include providing power and water supply, humanitarian assistance, hospital services and logistic support with medical care capacity. Members of the delegation included ship building business leaders who offered services to provide technology transfer of the latest naval ships and electronic warfare and defense equipment. They shared their expertise in surveillance and cyber intelligence systems with the aim of deterring the threat of faceless myrmidons or other illegal activities. Our region must work on a strategy for the efficient transfer of military technology and the creation of policies to foster relations to build partners and not remain recipients in the evolution of technology. If we do not develop our military mechanism and spend wisely on defense, we will be easy prey for warmongers and terrorist organizations. Saudi Arabia and the Islamic military alliance have an important task ahead not only to train their armed forces, but also to develop a stronger military industry with advanced weapons to defend Moslem territories. The Middle East can no longer afford to be at the mercy of the superpowers that control the sales of arms and exercise their hegemony over our region.

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Arabia

Over 2,000 Saudi jihadists said fighting abroad

2016-12-27

[IsraelTimes] Kingdom’s interior ministry says 70% have joined Islamic State in Syria, with others in Yemen, Afganistan, Pakistain, Iraq. More than 2,000 Saudis are fighting abroad with jihadist groups, with over 70 percent of them in Syria, the kingdom’s interior ministry was reported as saying Monday. "The number of Saudis proven to be in conflict areas is 2,093," interior ministry front man General Mansour al-Turki told daily newspaper al-Hayat. He said that 1,540 of them were in Syria, where jihadists have flocked since the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... group seized control of vast areas in mid-2014. Another 147 were in Yemen, which is the base of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula ...the latest incarnation of various Qaeda and Qaeda-allied groups, including the now-defunct Aden-Abyan Islamic Army that boomed the USS Cole in 2000... , considered by Washington as the most dangerous affiliate of the global terror network. Another 31 were believed to be in Afghanistan or Pakistain, Turki said. Only five were believed to be in neighboring Iraq, where IS also seized significant territory in 2014. Turki said 73 Saudis had also been detained abroad "on charges related to acts of terrorism."

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Arabia

Saudi Arabia sees ‘over 120 terror plots in 15 years’

2016-12-08

[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... suffered more than 128 terrorist operations in the last 15 years that killed or injured as many as 1,147 Saudis and expatriates, according to front man of Interior Ministry Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki. "Since 2001 the Kingdom has been a target for Lions of Islam who also planned to attack housing complexes and vital security establishments," he said. Turki was speaking on Monday at a symposium on "The role of social service and intellectual security" organized by Princess Nourah University. He said that Lions of Islam also targeted mosques, foreign embassies and the coppers. "Even the Grand Mosque in Makkah was targeted and the Prophet›s Mosque was attacked last Ramadan," he said. The front man said the propagators of devious thought found fertile soil and a safe haven in countries witnessing armed conflicts. "Their leaders and sponsors clearly announced that their main objective was to destabilize the Kingdom, undermine its values and instigate its youth," he said. Since the 15th Hijra century, the Kingdom has been subjected to unprecedented terrorist attacks which were aimed at shaking its public order, sowing dissension and undermining its social stability by spreading devious ideologies and recruiting the youth to carry out criminal acts, the front man said. He said the forces of darkness exploited social media networks to recruit new adherents, establish terror cells, finance their operations and manage their dirty work from a distance. Turki said Lions of Islam usually target people with no solid religious knowledge playing with their sentiments by narrating to them fake stories about injustices and the suffering of women, children and the elderly. He said that Lions of Islam also started using women, especially in societies which respect women and give them privacy. "Extremist organizations were keen to exploit the privacy of women in the Kingdom, the facilities granted to them and their easy movements," he said.

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Arabia

Soddys continue air campaign in Taiz

2016-10-02

[Asharq Al-Awsat] Taiz-The air campaign carried out by the Saudi-led Arab coalition continued zeroing in on coup militants located in Yemen’s Taiz. Top Houthi commander Abu Nasr Alkhawlany along with eight of his companions had been reportedly killed by a recent coalition-staged raid on the coup’s pit in Alrawd village, located west of Taiz on Friday. Arab coalition airstrikes mostly targeted reinforcement fighters and artillery warehouses belonging to Houthis and allied coup militias. Over ten militants were reportedly killed on Friday. The operation in Taiz -Yemen’s third largest city- had cost grave losses among the ranks of the insurgency. Howitzer ammunition, in addition to self-propelled anti-aircraft weapons found in Houthi depositories, were destroyed, eyewitnesses told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper. Fighters supporting ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh, allied with Iran-backed Houthis, had reported grave losses as well. The Arab intervention led by Saudi Arabia backs pro-legitimacy forces, chiefly composed from the national army and supporting popular movements, in a civil conflict which pits Iran-backed Houthi militias staging a coup against the nationally elected government. Rural areas in Hayfan and As Silw, both districts of Taiz, witnessed continued fighting between pro-legitimacy forces and anti-government combatants. The Yemeni army and Popular Resistance Forces launched on Friday a major offensive against Houthi and Saleh sites in Taiz, southwest of the country. The national army and popular resistance made advances on several fronts, and have been achieving great success, Yemeni security sources said. Yemeni pro-government forces resumed military campaigns in coordination with the Arab coalition forces. Political and economic war against Houthi-spurred chaos continues as Yemen’s President Abd-Rabbuh Mansour Hadi sacked the head of the central bank and ordered that it be relocated to the southern city of Aden. The move would ramp up pressure on Houthi rebels who had been reportedly squandering the national bank’s assets on war and armament. Yemen’s limited oil revenues flow to the central bank. Hadi’s ordered relocation would therefore deprive the Houthis of a potential source for cash. Hadi had been carrying out institutional reform and measures since his return to the nation’s temporary capital, Aden, from exile in Saudi Arabia–Houthi fighters had overrun Yemen’s primary capital, Sana’a. Alternatively, authorities reported the death of a Saudi border guard by a Houthi-fired shell from Yemen. Saudi Arabia’s Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki, in a statement, said that the attack took place on Thursday. The shell landed in Saudi Arabia’s Jazan province, which borders Yemen. Cross-border fire has targeted Saudi security agents and civilians since the launch of the Arab intervention to salvage Yemen.

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