Prophet’s (PBUH) Mosque attack mastermind killed in Saudi security operation

RIYADH: Saudi security forces on Saturday shot and killed one of the suspected militants Tayea Salem Yaslam Al-Sayari, who was wanted for plotting the attack on the Prophet’s (PBUH) Mosque in Madinah  last July.

The two suspected militants were killed during a police operation in the north of the capital, the interior ministry said.

Al-Sayari, who had been wanted by authorities for plotting the attack on the Prophet’s Mosque last year was spotted in a house in a northern Riyadh neighbourhood, a ministry spokesman said.

It said that Saihari had “prepared the explosive belts that were used in botched suicide attacks”, on the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah last year and at headquarters of the special forces in 2015.

In a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, the spokesman said that Saihari was with Talal al-Saidi, also wanted by the authorities on suspicion of belonging to militant groups.

Security forces surrounded the house at dawn and ordered the suspects to surrender but they refused and opened fire on the police who then launched an assault, killing them both, he said.

The interior ministry 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 Daesh group claimed responsibility for the attack that killed 15 people.

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

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

With AFP inputs