An armed man exchanged fire with Saudi security authorities near the US Consulate building in Jeddah leading to his death and the death of a Nepalese security guard, state news agency SPA reported on Wednesday.
“A person in a car stopped near the American Consulate building in Jeddah Governorate and got out of it carrying a firearm in his hand, so security authorities took the initiative to deal with him as required, and the exchange of fire resulted in his death”, a spokesperson for the Makkah Region police said.
A Nepalese worker in the consulate’s private security guards was injured and subsequently died, SPA reported.
Investigations are underway into the shootings.
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
US-Saudi relations
The American Mission to Saudi Arabia began as a legation in Jeddah in 1942, according to the consulate website. However, full diplomatic relations didn’t commence until 1949.
As the Jerusalem Post previously reported, tensions have arisen between Saudi Arabia and the US. The US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s visit in January was not well covered by Saudi media.
Riyadh has also leveraged its growing relationships with Russia and China as the Biden administration has pushed back against some Saudi demands including lifting restrictions on arms sales and help with sensitive high-tech industries.
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