Yemen has arrested six Saudis who are suspected of belonging to the al-Qaeda terror group, a security official said Thursday.

The six will be deported to Saudi Arabia next week along with Bandr Abdel Hakim al-Ghamdi, recently arrested on suspicion of playing a role in deadly bomb attacks in the Saudi capital, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The official would not say when the six alleged militants were detained.

Yemen and Saudi Arabia are co-operating against Islamic extremists, having both suffered suicide bombings and other attacks.

Al-Ghamdi is accused by the Saudi authorities of belonging to a cell of 19 militants connected to the May 12 suicide bombings in Riyadh, which killed 26 bystanders.

Several other Saudis wanted for the Riyadh bombings are believed to have crossed into Yemen. It was not disclosed whether the six slated for deportation Thursday were among the Saudis wanted for the May attacks.

Separately, Deputy Foreign Minister Abdullah al-Radi was quoted Thursday as saying Yemen wants the United States to extradite 110 Yemeni suspects detained at the U.S. military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Speaking to the state-run Al-Wihda newspaper, al-Radi said Yemen would try the suspects once they have been extradited.

The interview was the first time the Yemeni government had said the number of its citizens held in Guantanamo exceeds 100. Last year a government official spoke of some 70 Yemenis at the facility reserved for U.S. captives in the war on terror.

Close

Today's Top News		Top International News
+US leaders under fire for meeting Dalai Lama ( 2003-09-12) +China, Germany agree to tighten ties ( 2003-09-12) +Officials lobby Moscow on oil ( 2003-09-12) +Nation's money supply soars by 21.6% in August ( 2003-09-12) +Commentary: China's diplomacy serves development ( 2003-09-12)		+Violence breaks out as Chile marks coup ( 2003-09-12) +World trade talks show little progress ( 2003-09-12) +UK panel: Iraq dossier didn't overstate ( 2003-09-12) +Paris veto averted; UN set to end Libya sanctions ( 2003-09-12) +Mussolini wasn't that bad, says Berlusconi ( 2003-09-12)