Masked gunmen kill Saudi policeman in Qatif

Masked gunmen kill Saudi policeman in Qatif
Gunmen opened fire on a Saudi policeman in the Qatif region, police said on Wednesday, making it the latest in a string of attacks on Saudi security personnel.
2 min read
17 August, 2016
Islamic State group have claimed attacks against Saudi security personnel elsewhere in the kingdom [AFP]
A drive-by shooting killed a police officer in Saudi Arabia's restive east, the interior ministry said on Wednesday.

Four masked men open fire on the officer in the Qatif region, a Shia-dominated district on the Gulf coast.

The officer was wounded in the attack and died on the way to hospital, police said in a statement.

An investigation into the shooting was underway, the statement added.

"The police building and a patrol car were damaged," said the statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.

The eastern province is home to most of Saudi Arabia's Shia, who have long complained of marginalisation in the Sunni-majority kingdom.

Parts of the eastern area have seen repeated security incidents since 2011, when a wave of protests began among Shias demanding reform.

Eastern Province residents have said clashes with police are also sometimes linked to criminal activity including the drug trade.

Sunni extremists from the Islamic State group have claimed attacks against Saudi security personnel elsewhere in the kingdom.

A Yemeni accused of running over and stabbing a policeman this month in the southwestern Asir region had pledged allegiance to the IS group, the interior ministry said.

Agencies contributed to this report