Saudi forces have arrested a heavily armed "extremist" after wounding him in an exchange of gunfire in the kingdom's central heartland, AFP reported Thursday (August 16th).
The man had embraced the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) group's "ideology" and was found to be in possession of a machine gun, a pistol and multiple rounds of ammunition, the interior ministry said in a statement.
The man in al-Bukhariya city was also wearing what appeared to be an explosives-laden belt, state-run al-Ekhbariya television reported.
The incident comes as the kingdom prepares to host the annual hajj pilgrimage from August 19th to 24th.
