Gunman Storms Saudi Royal Palace, Is Killed After Shootout With Guards
An armed attack took place on the Saudi Royal palace in Jeddah, with two Saudi guards shot dead while three others were injured on Saturday morning when a man drove up to the gate of the palace and began shooting, the interior ministry said in a statement carried by state news.
Royal Guards killed the gunman, identified by the interior ministry as Mansour al-Amri, a 28-year-old Saudi national; he was armed with a Kalashnikov rifle and three Molotov cocktails.
While Interior Ministry spokesman Mansour al-Turki told al-Arabiya TV that Amri did not have a criminal record or any known connection to extremist groups, we look forward to ISIS promptly claiming the terrorist attack (or if not, prompting questions why not).
The Saudi Royal Palace in Jeddah
The attack occurred at a checkpoint outside the western gate to the Peace Palace in Jeddah, where the royal family conducts official business during the summer months, according to Reuters.
Saudi King Salman was not present as he is currently outside the kingdom on a historical state visit to Russia, according to Reuters. While the whereabouts of his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, were unknwn, although recent state news reports have placed him in Jeddah.
An investigation was underway to determine his motive for the attack, according to the Saudi interior ministry.
Earlier on Saturday, the United States Embassy in Saudi Arabia had warned US citizens to exercise caution in the area around the palace after reports on social media of an attack there. “Due to the possibility of ongoing police activity, American citizens are advised to exercise caution when travelling through the area,” the embassy had warned.
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