RIYADH - Saudi security forces are surrounding a mosque east of the capital where a wanted militant is believed to have taken refuge following a car chase, the Al-Jazirah daily reported on its website Thursday.
The official Saudi Press News Agency said it has received no statement yet from the interior ministry regarding the incident.
"Security forces have been surrounding since 10:00 pm (1900 GMT) Wednesday the Suhail bin Saad mosque in the King Faisal neighbourhood east of Riyadh," said the paper.
"A witness told Al-Jazirah that a wanted suspect has taken refuge inside the mosque following a chase with security forces."
Security men disabled the GMC saloon vehicle in which the suspects were riding and managed to apprehend one of them while the other fled to the mosque, according to witnesses quoted by Al-Jazirah.
The paper said there were conflicting eyewitness accounts as to whether there was an exchange of gunfire between the suspects and the security forces.
But added that "there was heavy security presence in the area and that all roads leading to the mosque have been cut off and that mosque remains surrounded as of 4:00 am (0100 GMT) Thursday."
Saudi Arabia is fighting an internal battle against what it calls "terrorists" and frequently announces the capture of suspects or weapons.
The last such announcement came one week ago when authorities said they arrested seven suspects and large amounts of arms and explosives during a raid in Riyadh after six security men were killed while searching another suspect's home.
Last year two suicide car-bombs on residential compounds in the capital in November and May killed a total of 52 people.
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