Firefight breaks out in Saudi Arabia’s restive Eastern Province

A Saudi police officer was injured and a suspected militant killed following a gun battle in a raid on a suspected hideout in the east of the country.

A firefight raged in Saudi Arabia’s restive Eastern Province between a suspected militant and police officers during a raid on Friday.

The was wanted in connection with alleged “terrorism” activities was shot dead and a police officer wounded in the firefight, the interior ministry.

The incident in the Qatif area of the kingdom’s predominantly Shia, oil-rich region late Thursday saw the suspect open fire after refusing to surrender to security forces, a ministry spokesman said.

Police fired back, resulting in the man’s death. The official SPA news agency reported that one officer was hospitalised after the altercation.

Thursday’s shooting comes days after the killing by an unknown assailant of a policeman in Qatif, according to the ministry.

At least nine police have been shot dead since 2014 in and around Qatif

IS suspect shot dead 

Saudi police have shot dead an ‘IS supporter’ brandishing a weapon in Riyadh, while an officer was killed in the country’s troubled east Tags: Islamic State group, Shia protests, Qatif, Saudi Arabia, oil, coiunt

Saudi police have shot dead a suspected Islamic State group member, and an officer was gunned down in a separate incident, the interior ministry said Wednesday.

Officers were called at 6pm (3pm GMT) on Tuesday to an apartment in Riyadh’s al-Rayan district where a suspect was “flaunting his support” for the IS extremist group, the interior ministry said in a statement.

“He started to resist and waved a gun which he was carrying,” forcing police to eliminate “the threat he posed,” the ministry added. Another suspect was arrested.

IS has claimed a series of deadly shootings and bombings since late 2014 in Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia.

Most attacks have targeted the Shia minority and security forces, killing dozens of people.

IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has called for attacks against the kingdom, a member of the US-led coalition battling the group in Syria and Iraq.

On 7 January, Saudi officers shot and killed two suspected jihadis including an explosive belt maker during a police operation in northern Riyadh.

Since last July police have arrested around 40 people, including Saudis and Pakistanis, for alleged extremist links.