Saudi Arabia says its own citizens behind border assault

RIYADH — Saudi citizens belonging to Al Qaeda were behind an attack near Yemen last week that killed five soldiers and left five Saudi militants dead, the kingdom said Tuesday.

Interior ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour Al Turki said an investigation revealed that six Saudi men who were on a wanted list took part in Friday’s attack on a Saudi border post. Turki said in a statement released late Monday that one of the men was arrested and the others killed. Another, unidentified militant died in a suicide blast on the Yemeni side of the border that killed a soldier, Yemen’s state news agency has reported.

Yemen is home to one of the most active branches of Al Qaeda, and many of its members are Saudi nationals.

The official Saudi Press Agency reported that Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi arrived in Saudi Arabia Tuesday and was received by Crown Prince Salman. He is scheduled to meet with King Abdullah, the agency reported.

Friday’s attack erupted when a suicide car bomber struck the Yemeni side of the border post in Al Wadia area, killing one Yemeni soldier. The militants then fled in two cars toward Saudi Arabia and opened fire on soldiers, killing four Saudi border guards. The Saudi interior ministry said three militants were killed in the attack.