Suicide bomber phoned Saudi prince before attack

A suicide bomber who attempted to kill the Saudi deputy interior minister at his home had first telephoned him, telling him he wanted to give himself up and asking for a meeting, the interior ministry has said.

Abdullah bin Hassan bin Taleh Assiri, claimed by Al-Qaeda as one of its militants, told Prince Mohammed bin Nayef that he would also help arrange for some Saudis to return from Yemen, where he was living, the official SPA news agency reported quoted the ministry as saying.

"I would like to meet you to discuss the whole matter with you," Assiri told Mohammed on Friday, according to excerpts of the conversation broadcast by Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya television.

The conversation took place after Assiri arrived at the the Saudi-Yemeni border, state news agency SPA reported without saying when.

Assiri was taken to Jeddah and when he arrived at Mohammed's residence and met him, he confirmed his wish to hand himself in and help a group of Saudis living in Yemen to return home, the ministry said.

While making a phone call to one of them in the reception room where they were meeting, he blew himself up.

Prince Mohammed, a royal family member who leads the kingdom's anti-terror fight, escaped with just minor injuries. Apart from Assiri, who was killed, there were no other casualties.

Al-Qaeda boasted that Assiri had managed to pass security checkpoints and to board Prince Mohammed's private jet with his explosives.

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