Saudi raids militant hideouts

At least one Muslim militant blew himself up during a police raid in the holy city of Mecca yesterday, hours after another militant was shot dead in Riyadh as authorities cracked down on suspected al Qaeda activists.

Yesterday's raids, the second action against militant hideouts this week, came shortly after the United States and Britain warned of terror attacks during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

A Saudi security source said police in Mecca had been hunting down militants when one of them killed himself.

"Most probably one of the fugitives blew himself up. Another suspect may also have done the same, but we are still waiting for autopsy results," the source told Reuters.

There were no immediate reports of other casualties. The raid took place in the same area of Mecca where two militants believed linked to al Qaeda were killed in a shootout with security forces earlier this week.

Earlier yesterday, police raided a suspected hideout in the capital Riyadh at dawn, shooting dead one militant.

The state's Saudi Press Agency quoted an Interior Ministry official as saying eight policemen were slightly wounded in the clash in the capital's southern Suweidi area.

The official said an unspecified number of militants had escaped. He gave no further details.

Saudi Arabia, birthplace of Islam and of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, is battling Muslim militants after a spate of guerrilla attacks, including a triple suicide bombing in the capital that killed 35 people.

Militants loyal to bin Laden have mounted a campaign against the Saudi royal family, which they accuse of being corrupt and of bowing to U.S. policies in the region, seen by many Muslims as biased towards Israel.

On Tuesday, the Interior Ministry said police had foiled a plot to target Muslim pilgrims in Mecca. Five militants - four Saudis and a Nigerian - linked to the plot were arrested.

Yesterday, an interior ministry statement said the Mecca militants had intended to use a huge amount of explosives and rocket-propelled grenades to cause maximum damage.