Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki listens to journalists questions during a press conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Friday.

A young extremist who killed two policemen and injured two others in separate shooting incidents in Riyadh over the last two months, was following the instructions of the Islamic State (IS) terror group, the Interior Ministry said on Friday.

Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman of the ministry, said at a press conference here that a 23-year-old Saudi man, Yazeed Mohammed Abdulrahman Abu Nayan, had confessed to killing the policemen.

He also admitted that he had “received instructions from IS to stay inside Saudi Arabia, prepare for attacks and make homemade bombs,” said Al-Turki. Abu Nayan was detained a week ago attempting to cross into Yemen.

Abu Nayan had other accomplices and devised his plan after meeting an IS representative in Riyadh, said Al-Turki.

Information was gleaned from Abu Nayan, including text messages from three cell phones which indicated communication was made between him and the IS in Syria. Videos of the attempted operation were also seen stored in the cell phones.

Yazeed Mohammed Abdulrahman Abu Nayan, who is involved in an attack on a police car in Riyadh.

The spokesman said Abu Nayan “was hiding in a farm in Hirmaila (north of Riyadh)” when he was found.

Abu Nayan was preparing car bombs for use in future attacks. He received cash and instructions from IS, said Al-Turki.

Authorities seized Belgian rifles and cash estimated to be around SR4,000 buried with more arms underground and explosive white powder.

The ministry has offered a reward of SR1 million for the capture of Nawaf Sharif Samir Al-Onaizi, who is allegedly Abu Nayan’s accomplice. Al-Onaizi has apparently adopted a Moroccan accent and name to disguise his identity.

Police have found huge amounts of bombs and firearms including Belgian rifles during their investigation.

The killing of the two officers took place on April 8 in an eastern district of Riyadh, while they were on patrol in their vehicle. They were Thamer Amran Al-Mutairi and Abdulmohsen Khalaf Al-Mutairi. In March this year, two other policemen were shot and injured in a similar attack in the country’s capital.

IS last year called on followers in the Kingdom to carry out attacks against Saudi officials, police officers, Western expatriates and Shiites instead of traveling to Syria or Iraq to join the group.

Nawaf Sharif Samir Al-Onaizi, a wanted man, urged to surrender.

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