Foreigners involved in foiled Saudi oil attack-SPA

RIYADH, Apr 11 (Reuters) Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz today said foreign militants were involved in a failed al Qaeda attack on a key oil facility in February, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.

''Yes there were non-Saudi nationals,'' the agency quoted Prince Nayef as saying in response to a question. It did not give the nationalities of the suspects.

In March, the kingdom said it had arrested 40 suspected militants, including eight who were linked to the failed attack on the Abqaiq plant, the world's largest oil processing facility in which two militants died.

Prince Nayef said the authorities are making arrests ''almost every week'' in their drive to crush militancy in the kingdom.

''There are still people who represent the terrorism phenomena and we will deal with them with force and determination,'' Prince Nayef said. ''We have destroyed many (cells) and the remainder will follow with God's will.'' The agency said Prince Nayef said that Riyadh would soon set up a state security court to try terror suspects, noting that thousands of suspects have been released after investigation.

The Saudi wing of al Qaeda has been waging a violent campaign for more than two years aimed at toppling the pro-US monarchy and expelling Westerners from the birthplace of Islam.

Crown Prince Sultan has said the authorities aim to end ''terrorist activity'' in the country within two years.

Officials say about 144 foreigners and Saudis, including security forces, and 120 militants have died in attacks and clashes with police since May 2003, when al Qaeda suicide bombers hit three Western housing compounds in Riyadh.

REUTERS DH BD0105