Saudi officials arrested 88 individuals who allegedly planned terrorist attacks in the country and abroad, the SPA news reported on Tuesday.

Several Interior Ministry sources told SPA that among the 88 arrested terror suspects, 87 were Saudi Arabians and one was a Yemen national. Fifty-nine of them have also been previously arrested.

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The suspects have been under surveillance for several months because of reports that they were planning to launch a terrorist attach in Saudi and abroad, the source stated.

The SPA news agency reported that one detainee cited a rebel group abroad, but effused to disclose any further information. The government did not say if the extremist group was the Islamic State but revealed that the arrest was in relation to the "painful reality the region is going through."

Terrorism law in Saudi stipulates that individuals suspected of terrorism intentions can be held in custody for a year without charges.

The Kingdom's firmness in dealing with potential terrorism came after the country battled As Qaeda several years ago.

King Abdullah said Friday that terror groups such as the ISIS are a threat to nations beyond the Middle East, If the danger is not immediately taken care of, it could reach Europe and even the United States, the king added.

The rebellion in Iraq has also led to several Saudi nationals to join in the fight. Officials in the kingdom revealed that there are currently over 1,000 Saudi Arabians who went to fight in Syria.

Because of the inclusion of Saudi Arabia in the foreign battlefield, the kingdom declared the Islamic State as an outlaw and has since forbidden its nationals to join the fight.

TagsTerrorist, ISIS, yemen, arrested terrorirts