More militants surrender, Saudi Arabia says
RIYAHD (CNN) -- Another 27 wanted militants have surrendered to Saudi security officials over the last several days under a month-long leniency offer set to expire this week, according to the Saudi Interior Ministry.
Security sources said that some of those militants came from outside the country to surrender, and that active negotiations, which could lead to more surrenders before the July 23 deadline, were under way.
Those who have surrendered have been jailed and are being interrogated, the Interior Ministry said.
It is not immediately known if any of these men were on the Saudi's list of 25 most-wanted militants.
A Saudi official who mediated some of the surrenders called it encouraging.
Several other Saudi militants surrendered in recent weeks, including two who were said to be linked to al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden.
The Saudi government issued an offer of leniency last month which exempt terror suspects from the death penalty in Saudi Arabia but not from civil suits by their victims' families. It was made specifically to suspects in attacks inside Saudi Arabia, an official said, and does not apply to those wanted for attacks in other countries.
A Saudi cleric involved in the amnesty program has asked the Saudi government to extend the 30-day leniency offer, which is set to expire July 23.
CNN's Nic Robertson and Henry Shuster contributed to this report.
