Two ‘terrorist’ suspects shot dead in Riyadh raid

Two “dangerous terrorists”, including an explosive-belt maker, were shot and killed in Saudi Arabia during a security operation in the capital Riyadh on Saturday.

The Saudi state news agency SPA, citing an interior ministry spokesman, said a security officer was also wounded in the operation in the al-Yasmin neighbourhood in northern Riyadh. 

Suspect Tayeh al-Saihari, who had been wanted by authorities for his alleged involvement in attacks, was spotted in a house in the area. Saihari was with Talal al-Saidi who was also wanted by authorities.    

Security forces surrounded the house at dawn and ordered the suspects to surrender, according to the ministry spokesman.

The suspects refused and opened fire on the police who then launched an assault and killed them both, the spokesman said.    

Two explosive belts “ready to be activated” were found in the house, as well as a homemade bomb and material that could be used to make explosives, the interior ministry said.    

It said Saihari had “prepared the explosive belts that were used in suicide attacks”, including the deadly bombing of a headquarters of the special forces in 2015 and near the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina last July.    

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group claimed responsibility for the attack that killed 15 people.    

But no one claimed responsibility for a July 2016 attack in Medina in which four security guards were killed.    

Since late 2014, ISIL has claimed a series of bombings and shootings against Shia Muslims in the Sunni-majority kingdom, as well as against security forces.