Saudi Arabia "will act with an iron fist against all those who threaten security,” Fahd

RIYADH, November 11 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Deploying thousands of troops to the Saudi holy cities to protect the Ramadan pilgrims, Saudi Arabia warned militants that they will be crushed with an “iron first”.

Saudi King Fahd bin Abdel-Aziz vowed at a cabinet meeting that “the retaliation will be stiff" to the bombing attacks on Riyadh that killed 17 people, mostly Arabs, and injured 122 others.

The kingdom "will act with an iron fist against all those who threaten the security of the country, its citizens and those who live there," the Saudi monarch was quoted by Agence France-Presse (AFP) as saying.

Several suspects have been already arrested in the course of the last two days, said Al-Hayat daily, without giving numbers.

"The security authorities are said to have important information on the basis of which they are looking for suspects," said the Saudi-owned paper.

A diplomat close to the investigation of the Riyadh bombing confirmed that the authorities arrested a number of the "suspected culprits".

"A group of suspects in the bombing was detained. Some were also detained and released after interrogation," the diplomat told Reuters, adding that the arrests took place in Riyadh and the outskirts.

Saudi officials vowed to catch the perpetrators, whom the United States claims are associated with Al-Qaeda group which is blamed by Washington for the September 11 attacks.

"We will get to them, God willing, no matter how long it takes," Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz said after the inspecting the site of the blast.

Protected

The declaration came after a security source said at least 5,000 soldiers and police had been deployed in Makkah, where as many as 2.5 million Muslims were expected to celebrate the last 10 days of the fasting month of Ramadan.

"In total there will be no fewer than 5,000 soldiers and police reinforcements in the Makkah region," said a security source, who refused to be named.

Press reports said the security contingent had been doubled compared to previous years.

Some two million foreign pilgrims and 500,000 Saudis were expected to throng Makkah over the last 10 days of the Muslim fasting month, which is due to conclude around November 24-25.

More reinforcements would also be deployed in Medina, the second holiest site in Islam, the source added.

Deputy Hajj or Pilgrimage Minister Hatem Qadi Tuesday told Al-Hayat there had been no reduction in the numbers of pilgrims flowing into Makkah, which he estimated already at 1.5 million, despite the bloodshed.

The authorities said on November 3 they had foiled a plot to attack pilgrims in the holiest city in Islam where two "terrorists" were shot dead.

However, the U.S. State Department said the three U.S. diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia were to remain closed until at least the end of this week.

The department eased restrictions on the movement of diplomats posted at the U.S. embassy in Riyadh immediately after the Riyadh bombing.

A mediation offer was announced Monday by a group of Saudi religious scholars in an effort to halt the bloodshed.

Canadian Killed

In the meantime, a permanent resident of Canada was killed and eight Canadians were injured in the weekend bombing in the Saudi capital, the foreign ministry announced Monday.

The deceased victim's name was not released, ministry spokeswoman Marie-Christine Lilkoff said.

Eight Canadians were hospitalized, one with very serious injuries, she added. However, five Canadians have been discharged.

At least 6,250 Canadians live in Saudi Arabia, Lilkoff noted.