2 Saudi guards killed in Jeddah gunman attack

By Ahmed al-Masry

DOHA (AA) – Saudi authorities Saturday evening confirmed reports that an attack near the royal palace in Jeddah had been foiled Saturday by security forces, leaving two guards and the attacker dead.

The spokesman for the Saudi Interior Ministry said two Saudi security personnel were killed and another three wounded in an attack on an outpost affiliates the Royal Guards in the Peace Palace in Jeddah, Saudi official news agency (SPA) reported.

"At 3:15 pm on Saturday, an outpost of the Royal Guard, located in front of the western gate of the Peace Palace in Jeddah, came under fire by a person who got out of a Hyundai car and was immediately dealt with by the Royal Guard men as required by the situation, resulting in his death in the same place immediately," SPA quoted.

“This cowardly act also resulted in martyrdom of sergeant Hammad bin Shallah al-Mutairi, and soldier Abdullah bin Faisal al-Subaie and the injury of corporal Walid bin Ali Shami, soldier Ahmed Saleh Al-Qarni and soldier Abdullah Hindi Subei'i who are currently receiving treatment,” the spokesman added.

The attacked was identified as Mansur bin Hassan bin Ali al-Fahid al-Amiri, a 28-year-old Saudi national, and carried a Kalashnikov machine gun and three Molotov fire grenades, the spokesman said.

Investigations are still carried out by security authorities, and “any developments will be announced later”, he added.