Saudi Arrests Second Suspect in IS-Linked Police Killing

Saudi Arabian security forces on Tuesday arrested a second suspect in the fatal shooting of two policemen blamed on the Islamic State group, the interior ministry said.

Officers detained Nawaf bin Sharif Samir al-Anzi near the capital Riyadh after he opened fire on them, sparking an exchange of shots in which he was wounded, the ministry said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.

Authorities had offered a one-million-riyal ($267,000/ 246,000 euro) reward for the arrest of Anzi, who was wanted in connection with several other cases as well.

The interior ministry said security forces began a search after receiving a phone call which led them to his location.

On Friday authorities announced the arrest of Yazid bin Mohammed Abdulrahman Abu Niyan, 23, who allegedly confessed that he was following orders received from IS, the extremist group that has seized large parts of Syria and Iraq.

The two policemen were killed in an April 8 drive-by shooting in an eastern district of Riyadh.

The ministry said that Abu Niyan allegedly carried out the shooting while his partner, Anzi, drove the car and filmed the attack.

Authorities said they seized three bomb-laden cars during investigations into the killings.

The shooting was the fifth attack on security forces and foreigners in Saudi Arabia orchestrated by IS, according to interior ministry spokesman General Mansour al-Turki.

Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia in September joined the U.S.-led coalition carrying out air strikes against IS in Syria and Iraq.