( CNN ) -- Saudi Arabia 's Interior Ministry has identified the suicide bomber who attempted to assassinate the country 's assistant interior minister last Thursday and released details of a phone conversation between the two men prior to the attack . A Saudi man reads a newspaper featuring a front-page story on Thursday 's attack . The disclosures reported by the country 's official news agency were highly unusual . The agency , SPA , reported the attacker , Abdullah Hassan Talea ' Asiri , a wanted Saudi militant who had been hiding in Yemen , got in touch with Saudi authorities telling them he wanted to turn himself in to Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Naif , the assistant minister of Interior for Security Affairs . After arriving back in Saudi Arabia , Asiri spoke by phone to Mohammed , who agreed to see him during a Ramadan reception at his home in the city of Jeddah . According to a transcript provided by SPA , during the phone call the men exchanged greetings and discussed the importance of the holy month of Ramadan . Mohammed is quoted as telling Asiri that `` one should be careful ; evil people would like to exploit all of you . Now only you to fear Allah Almighty and come home . '' Later in the conversation , Asiri asked if a special plane could be dispatched to take him to meet with Mohammed . Asiri , escorted by security , was transported to Jeddah , where he met with the prince at his palace . During the meeting , Asiri explained to Mohammed that other Saudi militants in Yemen also wished to surrender but sought reassurances from the prince . According to SPA , a call was then placed to one of the militants in Yemen . While the prince was on the phone , Asiri blew himself up , SPA reported . Mohammed , who is also the son of the country 's Interior Minister , was lightly injured in the attack . Saudi King Abdullah was shown visiting the prince in the hospital after the attack on Saudi TV . The king asked the prince why the militant was allowed to get so close him without being inspected properly and searched thoroughly . Prince Mohammed answered the king by telling him it had been a mistake . SPA adds that `` the concerned security authorities opened an investigation into the incident . However , the criminal laboratory and a forensic report have reached conclusions that , for security considerations , will not be announced at this time . '' Asiri 's name was on a list of 85 most wanted suspects released by Saudi Arabia in February . At the time the list was released , Saudi Arabia asked Interpol for its help in apprehending dozens of the wanted Saudis on the list who were suspected of plotting attacks against Saudi Arabia from abroad . The announcement was significant because it is rare for the kingdom to announce that some of its most wanted terrorists are on the loose . It is also unusual for Saudi Arabia to ask for help in finding them . Some of the suspects on the most wanted list had been released from Guantanamo Bay , returned to Saudi Arabia , and had then gone through a Jihadi reeducation program run by the Interior Ministry , before fleeing to Yemen and taking up terrorist activity once more . Saudi Arabia has been battling terrorism since 2003 , when al Qaeda launched a series of attacks inside the Kingdom . In the security crackdown that followed , Asiri , like many other wanted Saudi militants , fled to Yemen . Earlier this year , Saudi al Qaeda and Yemeni al Qaeda merged to form `` Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula . '' Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula , which operates out of Yemen , claimed responsibility earlier this week for the attack against Mohammed . In August , Saudi Arabia 's Interior Ministry announced that over the past year , 44 al Qaeda suspects across the country had been arrested . While the Interior Ministry is calling the attempted assassination an `` action of treachery and treason '' , SPA reports that the Ministry will not change its `` open-door policy '' of granting amnesty to militants wishing to surrender - in particular , `` those citizens residing outside the country '' who wish to `` take advantage of the state-sponsored program of advice and care . ''
Wanted Saudi militant Abu Hassan al ' Asiri had been arrested in Yemen . Reportedly got in contact with Saudi authorities saying he wanted to turn himself in . He met with Saudi Arabian minister of state for Security Affairs . He explained other Saudi militants in Yemen also wished to surrender .