The Saudi interior ministry on Saturday said 47 people convicted of plotting and carrying out terrorist attacks, targeting civilians and security forces, were executed, according to Al Arabiya news channel.

The ministry statement, published on the official SPA news agency, said the 47 had been convicted of adopting the radical "takfiri" ideology, joining "terrorist organizations" and implementing various "criminal plots."

Most of those executed were involved in a series of attacks carried out by al Qaeda from 2003-06 that killed Saudis and foreigners in the kingdom, the interior ministry statement added.

Forty-five of those executed were of Saudi nationality, alongside one Chadian and one Egyptian, according to a list of names and nationalities published by the Saudi Press Agency.

The 47 men were based across 12 provinces in the kingdom, the interior ministry statement added.

They were convicted of plotting and carrying out terrorist attacks targeting civilians and security forces in Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries.

Source: MENA