Nine persons have been arrested in connection with last week's rioting in Al-Qatif in the Eastern Province, Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman of the Ministry of Interior, said Tuesday. They were arrested from their hideout in Al-Qatif Monday evening. Al-Turki said the arrested men were involved in riots and shooting at security forces last week, during which three security officers were injured and several security vehicles damaged. Legal action will be taken against those arrested, he said. The Ministry of Interior had earlier this month issued arrest warrants against 23 persons for their involvement in trouble during the past few months in the Eastern Province. However, these nine men are not from the list of the 23 wanted, Al-Turki said. Three among the wanted list turned themselves in and two others were arrested a day after the riots. The group is accused mainly of “possessing illegal firearms and opening fire on the public and police, in addition to using innocent people as shields,” the Interior Ministry said. They allegedly took part in “mobs, blocking traffic (and) damaging public and private property” during sporadic confrontations between police and protesters. The surrendered outlaws were Hussein Ali Abdullah Al-Braki, Shah Ali Issa Al-Shukan and Moussa Jaffar Mohammed Al-Mabiouq.
