Dubai: An Indian expatriate, who escaped from the group of terrorists hiding in caves near Riyadh and reached the police, has identified one of his captors as Abdul Aziz Al-Muqrin, the chief of al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia.

The Indian, who said he was held by five terrorists, identified al-Muqrin from police photographs, Saudi daily 'Arab News' reported.

The Indian was held by the five terrorists who shot dead a member of the al-Mujahedeen unit and wounded another two weeks ago.

He said that the group forced him to carry their belongings and to help them with directions in the rugged landscape of al-Ammariya, 35 km North East of Riyadh.

He later gave his captors the slip and told police officers at a security checkpoint of the groups' whereabouts.

The man said that his captors were desperate for food supplies and had resorted to eating desert plants and drinking rain-water in order to survive.

The expatriate Indian later led the police to the terrorist hideout. Police said three out of the four terrorists were on the Saudi authorities' most wanted list issued last December.

Al-Muqrin succeeded and took over as Saudi al-Qaeda chief from Khaled Ali Haj, who was shot dead by police in March 2004.