Saudi Arabia confirms two guards killed in attack on King Salman's palace

Saudi Arabia has said that two security forces were killed and three injured after a gunman opened fire at the royal palace in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.

A Ministry of Interior spokesman made the announcement in a statement carried by the state-run SPA new agency on Saturday.

The spokesman said that the attack happened at 3:15 pm local time when the gunman shot from a car at security post at the al-Salam palace.

He added that members of the Royal Guard returned fire, killing the assailant, who was identified as a 28-year-old Saudi national.

Earlier in the day, the US embassy in Saudi Arabia cautioned its citizens after reports of an attack around the royal palace emerged in local media.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman is currently in Russia for a state visit.

The attack comes after the Saudi police raided hideouts of a "terror" cell linked to the Islamic State group this 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, SPA reported on Thursday.

Since late 2014, IS has claimed a series of bombings and shootings against Shias and security forces in the Sunni-majority kingdom.

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