UAE arrests members of alleged terrorist organization
United Arab Emirates officials said they had broken up a terrorist cell that was plotting attacks both domestically and abroad.
The United Arab Emirates authorities claimed on Wednesday to have broken up a terrorist cell that was planning domestic and foreign attacks.
The cell was said to be made up of Emiratis and Saudis that were planning attacks in both countries.
“The security authorities in the UAE, in coordination with the related security parties in Saudi Arabia, announced the arrest of an organized cell from the deviant group that was planning to carry out actions against national security of both countries and some sisterly states,” local news agency WAM said, according to Reuters.
Gulf countries commonly refer to Al Qaeda as "deviant groups."
The news agency went on to say that the terrorist suspects had acquired materials and were planning attacks.
The UAE has largely been spared the terrorist attacks that plague the region despite its connections to the West and containing major symbolic targets.
In 2010, US officials praised Emirati authorities for their work in combating terrorism in their country.
Al Arabiya said that the UAE had detained 60 local Islamists this year belonging to a group known as al-Islah, according to the BBC.
Officials claim that those arrested had confessed to setting up a secret organization with a military wing dedicated to creating an Islamic state.
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