Swiss hold eight over Saudi terror attacks
Swiss police have arrested eight people in connection with last May’s terror attacks on Westerners in Saudi Arabia.
Those arrested, all non-Swiss, are being held on suspicion of providing logistical support to a criminal organisation, police said in a statement.
The arrests were part of a coordinated nationwide operation that included searches of homes in a number of locations across Switzerland from Geneva to Zurich and the interrogation of about 20 people.
“The police action was in the context of terrorism investigations, especially in connection with the May 12 attack in Riyadh,” the statement said.
The statement said 100 federal police officers supported by state police took part in the simultaneous raids.
The string of bombings on Western residential compounds in Riyadh on May 12 has been linked to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida terror network.
Twenty-six people – including one Swiss citizen – and nine assailants were killed in the attacks.
The police statement said the arrests were a result of an investigation that was begun soon after the attack.
