RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Police have arrested 28 militants suspected of trying to rebuild the al Qaeda network in Saudi Arabia and start a terror campaign in the kingdom, the government said Monday.
Police had found a message from Ayman al-Zawahri, al Qaeda's No. 2 leader, on the memory card of one of the men's mobile phones, urging the militants to collect money for needy families in Pakistan and Afghanistan, according to a statement from the Interior Ministry. The staff at the official Saudi Press Agency, which carried the ministry's statement, said al-Zawahri's message was an audio recording.
The ministry quoted the message as saying that its bearer was "'a trusted brother.'"
"'Please give him your cash donations to the families of prisoners ... in Pakistan and Afghanistan,'" said the message.
Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Osama bin Laden, has been waging a heavy crackdown on militants since al Qaeda's branch in the country launched a wave of attacks in 2003, including suicide bombings and shooting attacks on compounds of international companies and oil infrastructure that killed several dozen Saudis and foreigners. At least 11 Americans were among the dead. By 2006, security forces appeared to have largely crushed the campaign, arresting or killing most of its known leaders.
There have been no major attacks since February 2006, when suicide bombers tried but failed to attack an oil facility at Abqaiq. But arrests have continued. In April 2007, 172 militants were detained in one of the biggest sweeps, including pilots allegedly trained to carry out attacks on oil refineries using civilian planes.
The U.S.-allied monarchy holds a quarter of the world's proven oil reserves.
With the latest arrests, 56 militants have been detained since December. Twenty-eight militants had previously been arrested for allegedly planning to attack sites around the holy cities of Mecca and Medina during the annual Muslim hajj pilgrimage.
Saudi authorities say the 56 all belong to the same network. Monday's statement said they were of different nationalities and included the head of the group.
Several militants detained in the latest sweep were caught collecting money under the cover of donations for charity, trying to "secure the necessary funds to finance their criminal activities," the Interior Ministry said.
The ministry said the militants' preparations had "reached an advanced stage." They had tried to find hideouts for their cells, forge travel documents and launch a media campaign through the Internet to spread their "deviant ideology," the ministry added.
The militants were also recruiting young men and sending them to "other regions and involving them in actions that undermine security in order to harm their nation and compatriots."
