SAUDI ARABIA: KILLED TERRORISTS LINKED TO ONLINE PROPAGANDA

Riyadh, 23 June (AKI) - The discovery by Saudi police of an alleged al-Qaeda terrorist cell in the capital Riyadh has also led to the seizure of extensive Islamist propaganda material used on the internet. The cell is believed to be linked to another terror formation which published a number of Islamist videos and other documents on Islamic online forums, Saudi terrorism analyst Fahs Bin Azzam told satellite broadcaster al-Arabiya. He said Thursday morning's police raid in the al-Nakilh neighbourhood of Riyadh, in which six alleged terrorists were killed and one other was arrested, unveiled how crucial internet propaganda was becoming.

Among those killed in the police raid were some al-Qaeda members who had escaped from a Saudi prison four months ago. Only a few days ago, a Saudi terror cell had published on the internet a video about the 2004 attack to the two oil industry installations and a foreign workers' housing complex in Khobar, on the Persian Gulf, which killed 22.

A Saudi Interior Ministry statement said the seven were linked to a "deviant group" - a label used by authorities to describe supporters of al-Qaeda network.

One Saudi policeman was also killed in Friday's raid.

Saudi security forces believe that the militants were preparing unspecified attacks when the police operation hit their hideout.