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The Al-Qaeda has developed new explosive devices that enable suicide bombers carry them hidden in stomach to breach airline security measures, the media reported on Sunday. An al-Qaeda militant passed through several airline security checks with a bomb hidden in his intestine and made an abortive bid to assassinate a prominent Saudi prince, The Sunday Telegraph reported.
"While not wanting to be alarmist, I admit this is alarming," Richard Barrett, head of the United Nations" al-Qaeda and Taliban monitoring group was quoted as saying. "Even though its capability is reduced, it is clear that al-Qaeda remains determined enough and inventive enough to cause another terrorist spectacular." Addressing the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Barrett said the organisation's power to sow terror was far from eliminated, and described how its use of a well-known drug smugglers' technique had already breached airline security.
The episode occurred on August 28, when, Abdullah Hassan Tali al-Asiri, one of Saudi Arabia's most wanted men, offered to give himself up to Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef, the head of Saudi Arabia's counter terrorism operations. The prince is responsible for overseeing Saudi Arabia's much trumpeted terrorist rehabilitation programme. The repentant al-Asiri took two flights, one aboard the prince's private jet. He spent 30 hours closely guarded by the prince's personal security.