A security guard and the gunman were killed in gunfire outside the US consulate in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah. As the state news agency SPA reported, a man got out of the car near the consulate with a firearm in his hand and was subsequently killed in a shootout with the police.
The second dead man, according to the report, was a Nepalese employee of the consulate’s private security service, who was injured in the gunfire and later died. The US State Department in Washington has since announced that the consulate has been cordoned off. No US citizens were killed. The ministry expressed its condolences to the relatives of the Nepalese security force.
The US Mission building immediately after the exchange of fireImage: AFP/Getty Images
The background to the incident is not yet clear and investigations are ongoing. However, memories of 2016 are awakened. At that time, just before July 4th, the US Independence Day, there was a similar incident in Jeddah. A suicide bomber blew himself up and died. Two security guards were slightly injured.
Another attack in 2004 killed a total of twelve people. Attackers affiliated with the terrorist militia al-Qaeda stormed the US representation armed with bombs and weapons, killing four security guards and five consulate employees. During the subsequent rescue operation, security forces killed three attackers and two others were arrested.
djo/sti (afp, dpa, rtr)