The Hindu : Three women arrested in Mecca plot?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 22, 2003

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International

Three women arrested in Mecca plot?

RIYADH june 21. Authorities arrested at least three women and confiscated weapons and gold in investigations into the alleged plot to attack Mecca, reports said on Saturday.

Earlier this month, authorities uncovered the suspected plan to launch an attack in Islam's holiest city, arresting 12 men. The daily Al-Watan reported on Saturday that Saudi police had raided an apartment in Mecca that was leased to one of the 12 suspects. Three women were arrested after being found in the apartment on Friday with two children, it said. Police also found three automatic rifles, a pistol, ammunition, two grenades, and a bag of gold and money, it said. newspaper said four Saudi women were arrested; the reason for the discrepancy in numbers was not immediately known. The reports did not say if the women had been accused of any crime.

Officials would not immediately comment on the reports.

Previously, officials have said the police were looking for about 10 more suspects connected with the plot against Mecca, 700 km west of Riyadh.

There have been reports of several arrests in and around Mecca since the initial June 15 raid, and security in the area has been tight, particularly on roads leading out of the city.

The Interior Ministry has identified the 12 initial suspects as seven Saudis, three Chadians, one Egyptian and another whose nationality was not given.

Saudi security officials believe the Mecca plot was linked to the May 12 suicide bombings of Western residential compounds in Riyadh that killed 35 people, including nine Americans and nine Saudi attackers. Al-Qaida, the terror network blamed for the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, has been linked to both the Mecca plot and the Riyadh bombings.

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