Saudi Arabia indicts 16 in "Qaeda-linked" group

Saudi authorities have indicted 16 people allegedly for setting up a clandestine organization linked to al-Qaeda with the aim of seizing power, officials said on Wednesday.

"This case is based on the findings of keeping a close watch on two groups," said Abdullah bin Hamad al-Saadan, a spokesman for the Saudi ministry of justice, DPA reported.

"The first group was involved in outlawed activities including illegal collection of donations to be channelled into dubious acts. The second was involved in destabilizing the country and propagating hostility to the state," he added.

"The two groups held a series of secret meetings together."

The indictment sheet against the accused, who include academics, claims they had links with foreign intelligence agencies, had financed terrorism and sought to foment chaos in the kingdom.

The prime suspect in the alleged case had hosted key operatives from an al-Qaeda-linked group in Iraq in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah, local newspapers reported on Wednesday.

Last year, Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, arrested some 113 suspected militants linked to al-Qaeda, who were allegedly planning attacks on oil facilities.