Saudi police defused a car bomb in the capital Riyadh on Saturday, the third explosive-rigged vehicle found in the Gulf state in less than a week.
An Interior Ministry official said police had been looking for the four-wheel-drive car and security sources said it was discovered early this morning in an eastern Riyadh neighbourhood where militants have often clashed with police.
Saudi Arabia is battling a surge in militant violence believed to be linked to Saudi-born Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network and the kingdom has cracked down on militants since suicide bombings killed at least 50 people last year.
On Tuesday, police found two similar car bombs north of Riyadh. Five policemen were killed in fierce clashes in and around the capital last week, as well as two neighbourhood patrol guards.
On Thursday, the United States ordered nonessential diplomats out of Saudi Arabia and warned all Americans they should leave, citing fresh signals of possible attacks on US and Western interests.