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Step up vigil against Daesh sleeper cells

Saudi Arabia's crackdown on Daesh and the arrest of 431 suspects linked to the group proves sleeper cells are active in the region. They are lying in wait to strike at the opportune moment, prodded on by their masters in Iraq and Syria. Riyadh, by enhancing its surveillance and intelligence gathering abilities, has succceed in stopping the would-be terrorists in their tracks. The strategy is to take the fight to the Daesh camp, at the military and ideological level. The UAE is leading the ideological battle with Sawad, a joint online initiative with the US, while the Saudis have shown they can up the military campaign against the terror outfit when the need arises.
But the Daesh pestilence in Syria and Iraq must be eradicated if real victory is to be achieved on the home front against sleeper cells or lone wolves. A broader strategy coordinated by the US and Arab coalition to send in ground troops with adequate air cover will get the job done. Special forces for targeted killings, or air raids, will only have a limited effect as the group is always on the move.
Daesh has called for more attacks in Saudi Arabia and the threat persists among the people. Last month's attack on a Kuwait mosque killed 27 hit closer home and investigations showed a Saudi national was the suicide bomber. In this fluid situation, a known person or a stranger could be a lone-wolf, or part of a sleeper cell.
Residents and security forces should be on the vigil against online hate-mongers. Social media is widely used by Daesh for recruitment The dispossessed and destitute are often swayed by their ideology. Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry said it has foiled many plots by tracking extremist activities online and on the ground.
Daesh is a real and present danger. What's scary is that they could be amongst us.