Saudi security forces on Friday foiled a terror plot, smashing an Islamic State jihadist group cell in Riyadh, killing two of its alleged members and arresting five others, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported.
The alleged cell was planning suicide attacks on two headquarters of the Saudi defence ministry, the SPA said, quoting an official source of from the Kingdom's newly created Presidency of State Security.
The alleged cell members arrested included a Yemeni and two Saudi nationals, SPA reported. It did not state the nationalities of the two militants killed, one of whom detonated an explosives belt.
Police raided three locations in Friday's operation, including a rest house located in al-Rimal neighbourhood, on the eastern outskirts of Riyadh, where a suicide bomber blew himself up, the SPA reported.
The al-Rimal hideout contained a factory for manufacturing explosive belts and explosive devices, said SPA.
The second property raided was an apartment located in Namar district, west of Riyadh, where a gunman was killed in a firefight with security forces, the agency said.
The third site targeted by Friday's operation were stables in al-Hayer district, south of Riyadh, where the IS cell allegedly arranged meetings in other locations, SPA said.
Police seized an arsenal during Friday's raids that included Kalashnikov rifles and ammunition, wire used in booby-trapping vehicles, metal nuts, chemicals used in bomb-making, bottles of distilled water, inflammable liquids and "large" quantities of heavy iron molds used as explosive devices, SPA reported.
