July 22, 2003	Tuesday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 21, 1424

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RIYADH, July 21: Saudi Arabia on Monday announced it had arrested a group of 16 militants planning “terrorist attacks” against vital Saudi installations and seized large amounts of arms and explosives.

The security forces claimed to have defused operations that were about to be carried out against vital installations.

A number of terrorist cells and hide-outs in farms and homes in Riyadh, Qaseem and the eastern province were searched during the operation, an official source at the Saudi ministry of interior said.

It was not revealed in the announcement when the raids were carried out.

The farms and houses raided during the operation included underground warehouses that contained a number of bags, weighing 20 tons and 76 kilograms, full of chemical mixtures to make explosives, the announcement added.

The authorities also found a large number of boxes, buried under the ground, that contained arms.

The security authorities were still reported to be looking for more persons in connection with the uncovered cells.

The ministry is exerting all efforts “strictly” to defuse and arrest all terrorist cells and all those who would contribute and finance them,” the report noted.