One policeman killed, six injured in Saudi Arabian flashpoint town

A police officer was killed and six injured when their patrol was attacked in the town of Al Awamiyah in eastern Saudi Arabia.

“A security patrol was subjected to a terrorist attack in the neighbourhood of Al Masoura in the Qatif governorate,” an interior ministry spokesman said on Sunday.

“Sgt Mahdi Al Yami was martyred and six other security men were injured.”

The spokesman said that the wounded were taken to hospital and were in stable conditions.

The authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, the latest in a string of attacks against security forces in Qatif.

This month, Sgt Adel Al Otaibi was killed in Al Masoura in an attack by militants.

In June, a senior police officer, Maj Tariq Al Alaqi, was killed and two policemen injured by a homemade explosive device in Al Awamiya – a Shiite majority town.

Meanwhile, according to activists, at least five people were killed last week when security forces launched an operation to flush out militants in the area.

The interior minister confirmed that police shot and killed three wanted men, saying that the security forces had thwarted a “major terrorist plot”.

“It is very clear that these men were intent on causing a major incident that would have resulted in the death of many innocent citizens,” the ministry spokesman said.

The UAE and other Arab countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait and Egypt, condemned the assaults, reiterating their support for Saudi Arabia and its efforts to maintain security and stability.

Since 2011, Saudi Arabian security forces have periodically been attacked in Al Awamiya. Some residents have accused the government of marginalisation, which Riyadh denies.

Authorities have been bulldozing Al Masoura, a neighbourhood with narrow streets that dates back more than 200 years, to make way for an urban renewal project.

Town officials said militants believed to be behind attacks on security forces have been using the streets to evade arrest.