‘Gunman killed after attack near Jeddah palace’

RIYADH — Two Saudi guards were shot dead and three others injured on Saturday morning after a man drove up to the gate of the royal palace in Jeddah and began shooting.

The Royal Guards killed the gunman, who was identified as Mansour Al Amri, a 28-year-old Saudi national, Reuters reported quoting an interior ministry’s statement.

Also on Saturday, the US embassy in Saudi Arabia cautioned its citizens after reports of an attack around the royal palace in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.

Saudi news websites reported that security forces had foiled an attack around Al Salam Palace that left the attacker and at least two Saudi guards killed.

There was no official confirmation of the incident.

“Due to the possibility of ongoing police activity, American citizens are advised to exercise caution when travelling through the area,” AFP reported quoting an embassy statement.

The warning comes after the Saudi police raided hideouts of a “terror” cell linked to the Daesh extremist group last week, killing two people and arresting five, according to the national security agency.

The State Security Agency said police raided three hideouts in the capital Riyadh and exchanged gunfire in one of them, the SPA news agency reported on Thursday.

Since late 2014, Daesh has claimed a series of bombings and shootings against Shiites and security forces in the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia is a member of the US-led international coalition that has been battling the extremist group in Syria and Iraq.