Saudi Arabia arrests 28 al-Qaida suspects

SAUDI ARABIA, Saudi Arabia arrested 28 al-Qaida militants suspected of planning "criminal acts" in the kingdom during the annual Muslim pilgrimage, or Haj, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Sunday.

The report quoted an Interior Ministry official as saying that the 28 al-Qaida suspects have been arrested since mid December in Mecca, Madina, Riyadh and in an area near the country's northern borders.

The official said the suspects, all are Saudi nationals except one foreign resident, were "linked to elements abroad and were planning criminal acts in the kingdom."

The Haj, in which all Muslims are expected to take part at least once in a lifetime if they have the means, has been hit by a series of disasters over the years, mostly caused by stampedes or fires.

More than two million Muslim faithfuls set off last Monday from Mecca to the valley of Mina as the annual Haj pilgrimage got underway in Saudi Arabia amid tight security.

Riyadh, Monday, Xinhua