Man killed, officer injured in Jeddah firefight

A man was killed and a police officer injured during a firefight involving a machine gun in Jeddah earlier this week.

Makkah regional police said the attack occurred at 9:00pm on Sunday as officers sought to arrest a man wanted for the mistreatment of a girl and possession of drugs and firearms at his residence in the city’s Al-Marwa district.

A spokesperson told Saudi Press Agency the man fired randomly with a machine gun in his possession and held a person as “a human shield in an attempt to escape from the security forces”.

Officers returned fire to neutralise the suspect, resulting in his death.

During the firefight, one officer was shot and later taken to hospital. He is described as being in a stable condition.

The suspect’s name was not disclosed.