Threat to ‘cleanse’ KSA of pro-US elements

DUBAI: A previously unknown Islamist group calling itself the “Brigade of the Two Holy Mosques” has threatened to “cleanse” Saudi Arabia of anyone who has helped the United States, according to an Islamist Internet site.

In the message on the site (groups.yahoo.com/group/globalislamicmedia), the group also claimed to have shot dead a general in the Saudi security forces on Friday.

In a statement signed the “Brigade of Death for Special Operations,” the group threatened to “cleanse Saudi Arabia, the country of the two holy mosques, of anyone who has helped the United States in one way or another against the mujahedin (holy warriors), and those involved in their torture in Saudi prisons in Hayer, al-Roweiss, Allicha and others.”

“Since our brothers in the Al Qaeda organisation are busy with the war against the crusaders, we have decided to take care of cleansing the country of crusaders,” a member of the group said, swearing to “physically exterminate whoever helps the United States or tortures the Mujahideen.”

Saudi security forces have been on heightened alert since the May 12 and November 8 attacks on residential compounds in Riyadh which killed a total of 52 people. They have been hunting suspected extremists for several months, resulting in hundreds of arrests as well as multiple armed attacks, in some cases deadly, between suspects and security forces. —AFP

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