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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Saudi Arabia said on Sunday it had arrested 46 members of a militant cell responsible for a deadly suicide bombing attack on the Prophet's Mosque in the holy city of Madina last summer that was blamed on Islamic State.

The suspects, which included foreign and Saudi citizens, were detained in the Western port city of Jeddah, state news agency SPA quoted the interior ministry as saying.

Three suicide bombers and two members of the security forces were killed in the unprecedented attack on the mosque and tomb of Prophet Mohammed that is one of the religion's holiest sites.

There was no claim of responsibility for the attack nor did the interior ministry statement blame a specific group.

However, according to the Saudi-based news outlet, Al Arabiya, " The spokesman said that investigations with members of the recently dismantled ‘Al-Harazat cell’ proved that they have connections to other terrorist operations.

He said that one of these terrorist acts was the attack that targeted the worshipers at the Prophet's Mosque, by providing the explosive belt which was used in this crime and handing it over to the suicide bomber.

The cell was also found to be involved in the terrorist act that took place in the courtyard of Suleiman Fakih Hospital in Jeddah.

He said that the cell decapitated one of its members for suspecting that he was intending to surrender himself to the authorities. The investigations have confirmed that the dead man was a Saudi wanted by the authorities and was an expert in the making explosive belts.

He added that the number of arrested members associated with the criminal activities of this cell so far have reached 46, including 32 Saudis, and 14 foreigners of various nationalities (Pakistani, Yemeni, Afghan, Egyptian, Jordanian and Sudanese)."