431 Arrested in Saudi Arabia on Charges of Membership in ISIS

Saudi Arabia has arrested 431 individuals on charges of membership in the Islamic State (ISIS). This extensive operation by Saudi security forces follows a series of attacks carried out by ISIS against the police and Shiites in the country. According to Reuters, the Saudi Ministry of Interior announced on Saturday, July 18, that most of the detainees are citizens of the country, but there are also several foreigners among them. The announcement reported the thwarting of several suicide bombings targeting mosques, diplomatic centers, and Saudi security forces. The Ministry of Interior also identified some of the detainees as perpetrators of recent suicide attacks against Shiite mosques in the Qatif region. Saudi Arabia, a member of the U.S.-led international coalition against ISIS, has been targeted multiple times by the group in recent months. ISIS released an audio file from its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, earlier this year, stating that the rulers of Saudi Arabia have 'lost their legitimacy' and that 'their end is near.' In this audio, the caliph of ISIS described the Saudi rulers as 'enemies' and claimed that the rulers of Gulf countries feel threatened by the growth of his followers among Sunni Arabs. The voice attributed to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi added, 'They {the Saudi rulers} have lost their claimed legitimacy. When they felt that their masters, the Crusaders and Jews, had replaced them with the Rafidah, they launched their alleged war against the Rafidah in Yemen.' 'Rafidah' is a term used by some radical Muslims to refer to Shiites, implying that they have deviated from Islam.