Saudi Officials: Two Dead in Attack in Front of US Consulate in Jeddah

By Staff, Agencies

Two people have died in an attack in front of the American consulate building in the coastal city of Jeddah on the Red Sea, according to Saudi officials.

 A man with a firearm stopped near the consulate building in Jeddah which led to an exchange of fire between him and security officials, Saudi Press Agency [SPA] reported on Wednesday.

"At 6:45 pm [15:45 GMT] a man stopped in a car in front of the consulate building and got out with a weapon in his hand," the SPA quoted a police spokesman as saying.

"Security forces reacted... resulting in an exchange of fire that killed the assailant," it said.

Meanwhile, a security guard at the US diplomatic facility who was injured in the incident subsequently succumbed to his injuries, according to the agency.

The attack happened at a time when Saudi Arabia is hosting some 1.8 million Muslims for the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the holy city of Mecca, some 70 kilometers from Jeddah.

The US consulate in Jeddah was previously attacked on July 4, 2016, American Independence Day, and in December 2004.