RIYADH, April 8: The Saudi police have arrested a former leading national soccer player suspected of planning to join militant groups. The Asharq Al Awsat paper reported that soccer player Sulaiman Al Hudaithi who, just a few seasons ago , had been a leading goal-scorer with the Jeddah club Al Ittihad, and had played with the national squad, was arrested three months ago.

"What he was trying to do was an individual and wrong act," the paper quoted his brother Saleh as saying. He said that Deputy Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef had been in contact with the family and that Sulaiman "regrets his desire for jihad because it was not sanctioned by the authorities."

MUQRIN: One of the kingdom's most wanted militant Abdul Aziz al-Muqrin, blamed for suicide bombings which killed at least 50 people in Riyadh last year, has called on Muslims to fight against Americans everywhere. "Terrorize them as they have terrorized your brothers," said a masked man identified as Abdul Aziz al-Muqrin in a video tape on the Dirasat website.