DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia said on Sunday it had arrested 46 members of a militant cell responsible for a deadly suicide bombing attack on the Prophet’s Mosque in the holy city of Medina last summer widely blamed on Islamic State.

The suspects, which included foreign and Saudi citizens, were detained in the Western port city of Jeddah, state news agency SPA quoted the interior ministry as saying.</s>Saudi Arabia said on Sunday it had arrested 46 members of a militant cell responsible for a deadly suicide bombing attack on the Prophet’s Mosque in the holy city of Medina last summer that was blamed on Islamic State.

The suspects, which included foreign and Saudi citizens, were detained in the Western port city of Jeddah, state news agency SPA quoted the interior ministry as saying.

Three suicide bombers and two members of the security forces were killed in the unprecedented attack on the mosque and tomb of Islam’s prophet Mohammed that is one of the religion’s holiest sites.

There was no claim of responsibility for the attack nor did the interior ministry statement blame a specific group.

Islamic State, based in Iraq and Syria, has carried out a series of bombings and shootings in Saudi Arabia since mid-2014 killing scores of people, mostly members of the Shi’ite Muslim minority and security services.

It has vowed to uproot Gulf monarchies it accuses of being in the thrall of the West.</s>Attacks took place in July during final days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, killing four security officers.

Saudi Arabia has arrested 46 people suspected of belonging to a cell responsible for an attack in Medina outside of one of Islam's holiest sites last year.

"Investigations revealed they were directly involved in the crime of targeting worshippers in the Prophet's sacred mosque," Interior Ministry spokesman Major-General Mansour al-Turki told reporters on Sunday.

Turki said the group was also behind a suicide bombing near the US consulate in Jeddah in 2016. Both attacks took place in July during the final days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The bombing outside Prophet Muhammad's mosque in the western Saudi city of Medina killed four security officers, while two policemen were wounded in the attack in Jeddah.

Turki said 32 of those arrested were Saudis, while the 14 others were from Egypt, Pakistan, Yemen, Afghanistan, Sudan and Jordan.

The ministry previously identified the Medina bomber as a Saudi national and the Jeddah bomber as a Pakistani.

There was no claim of responsibility for the attacks, nor did the Interior Ministry blame a specific group.

In recent months, Saudi authorities have stepped up a nationwide clampdown on suspected attackers.

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), based in Iraq and Syria, has carried out a series of bombings and shootings in Saudi Arabia since mid-2014 killing scores of people, mostly members of the Shia-Muslim minority and security services.</s>Alwaght- Saudi Arabia says security forces have arrested over 45 members of a terrorist group that last year carried out bombing attacks in Medina and Jeddah.

"Investigations revealed they were directly involved in the crime of targeting worshippers in the Prophet's sacred mosque," Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman told reporters on Sunday.

The suspects, who included both Saudi and foreign nationals, were detained in the Western port city of Jeddah, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

“Thirty two of those arrested are Saudis, while... 14 others are from Egypt, Pakistan, Yemen, Afghanistan, Sudan, and Jordan,” Major General Mansour al-Turki told.

An assailant carried out a bombing attack on the Prophet’s Mosque in the holy city of Medina on July 4, 2016, and killed himself and four security officials.

Turki said the group was also behind a suicide bombing near the US consulate in Jeddah in 2016. Both attacks took place in July during the final days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Two security guards were injured in that attack.

The Saudi Interior Ministry previously identified the Medina assailant as a Saudi national and the one in the Jeddah attack as a Pakistani individual.

Since late 2014, Saudi Arabia has witnessed a series of bombings and shootings mostly targeting the country’s Shiite Muslims in the eastern part of the country.

On the same day as the Medina and Jeddah bombings, two bomb blasts occurred near a Shiite mosque in Saudi Arabia’s eastern city of Qatif.

In his Sunday remarks, Turki provided no updates on the investigations into those attacks.</s>RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia's security forces say they have arrested 46 people suspected of belonging to a terrorist cell responsible for a stunning attack outside of one of Islam's holiest sites last year.

Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki says the group was also behind a suicide bombing near the U.S. consulate in Jiddah.

Both attacks took place in July during the final days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The bombing outside the Prophet Muhammad's mosque in Medina killed four security officers.

Al-Turki said Sunday that 32 of those arrested are Saudis, while the 14 others are from Egypt, Pakistan, Yemen, Afghanistan, Sudan and Jordan. He spoke to reporters Sunday in Riyadh.

The ministry previously identified the Medina bomber as a Saudi national and the Jiddah bomber as a Pakistani resident.</s>Saudi authorities say they have arrested 46 people with ties to a deadly suicide attack on a mosque in the holy city of Medina last year.

Saudia Arabia's official SPA newd agency cited the interior ministry as saying on April 30 that the suspects include 32 Saudi nationals and 14 foreigners.

The ministry said they were apprehended in the Western port city of Jeddah.

Four guards were killed in the July 4 attack near the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, Islam's second-holiest site.

No group has claimed responsibility, but suspicion has fallen on the Islamic State (IS) group, which has called for the Saudi monarchy to be overthrown.

The interior ministry's statement on April 30 did not blame the attack on a specific group.

IS militants have carried out several bombings in the Gulf state since mid-2014, killing dozens of people in attacks primarily targeting the Shi'ite Muslim minority and Saudi security services.

Based on reporting by Reuters, dpa, AP, and AFP</s>DUBAI:- Saudi Arabia said Sunday it had arrested 46 members of a militant cell responsible for a deadly suicide bombing attack on the Prophet's Mosque in the holy city of Medinah last summer that was blamed on Islamic State. The suspects, which included foreign and Saudi citizens, were detained in Jeddah, state news agency SPA quoted the interior ministry as saying. Three suicide bombers and two members of the security forces were killed in the unprecedented attack on the mosque and tomb of Islam's prophet Mohammed that is one of the religion's holiest sites.–Reuters</s>Riyadh, May 1 - Saudi Interior Ministry said on Sunday that it has arrested 46 Islamic State militants suspected to be behind a deadly suicide bombing attack on the Prophet's Mosque in the holy city of Medina in the summer of 2016, Al Arabiya local news reported. The suspects, 32 Saudis and 14 foreigners of Pakistani, Yemeni, Afghan, Egyptian, Jordanian and Sudanese nationalities, were detained in Jeddah, Xinhua news agency quoted a spokesman of the Ministry as saying.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Nerve News.</s>Saudi Interior Ministry said on Sunday that it has arrested 46 Islamic State (IS) militants suspected to be behind a deadly suicide bombing attack on the Prophet's Mosque in the holy city of Medina in the summer of 2016, Al Arabiya local news reported.

 

 The suspects, 32 Saudis and 14 foreigners of Pakistani, Yemeni, Afghan, Egyptian, Jordanian and Sudanese nationalities, were detained in Jeddah, Xinhua news agency quoted a spokesman of the Ministry as saying.

 

 He said they were suspected of being involved in the attack that targeted worshipers at the Prophet's Mosque last summer.

 

 They were also found to have participated in a terrorist attack in the courtyard of Suleiman Fakih Hospital in Jeddah last year, he added.</s>Saudi Arabia's security forces say they have arrested 46 people suspected of belonging to a terrorist cell responsible for a stunning attack outside of one of Islam's holiest sites last year. Interior Ministry spokesman Maj.

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Saudi Arabia announces the arrest of 46 of what it describes as militants connected with the summer 2016 suicide bombing of Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina.