August 17, 2003	Sunday	Jumadi-us-Sani 18, 1424

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RIYADH, Aug 16: A leading Saudi Arabian newspaper said on Saturday police had arrested between 12 and 26 suspected militants in a southern village after being tipped off by residents.

Al-Watan newspaper quoted unidentified security sources as saying the militants were captured overnight on Thursday during a raid on a house in Karboush village near the town of Jizan, some 30km from the Yemeni border.

It said police also found a cache of weapons and ammunition in the house and that there were no casualties. Saudi officials could not immediately confirm the al-Watan report.

Al-Watan said the arrested men could be linked to a group of militants that clashed with police in the capital Riyadh last week, killing four police officers. Two suspected militants were also killed in Tuesday’s attack.

Crown Prince Abdullah urged Saudis on Thursday to cooperate with the kingdom’s anti-terror drive, saying anyone who cooperated with the “terrorists” was a terrorist himself.

On Friday, a senior adviser to Prince Abdullah said the kingdom had made “great strides” in its war on terror, ranging from cutting Al Qaeda funds to destroying cells in the country.— Reuters