The Saudi royal family says Crown Prince Nayef has died in a hospital outside the kingdom. He was in his late 70s.

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The statement from King Abdullah says the prince died Saturday and will be buried Sunday after prayers in Mecca, but it gave no more details.

Nayef was the hard-line interior minister who spearheaded Saudi Arabia's fierce crackdown crushing al-Qaida's branch in the country and then rose to become next in line to the throne.

 

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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