Saudis say Al Qaeda cell broken

Saudi Arabia said Tuesday that it had arrested 11 militants linked to Al Qaeda, seizing arms and breaking up a cell that planned to carry out attacks and kidnappings.

Police arrested members of the group in several areas, including a region near the border with Yemen, Saudi news reports quoted the Interior Ministry as saying.

State television showed video of security forces digging out bags containing assault rifles and other weapons hidden in a mountainous area.

Group members, all Saudis, planned attacks on security forces, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television said.

Al Qaeda’s wing in Yemen, widely seen as a militant stronghold, said in January that it would become active across the Arabian peninsula in a move to revive Al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter.

Saudi Arabia has battled Islamist militants who launched a violent campaign to destabilize the U.S.-allied monarchy in 2003. The violence has subsided since 2006 after nearly 200 people were killed.