Saudi King Salman’s Palace in Jeddah has been hit by a gunman, who shot dead two guards and wounded three others.
The attack took place at the gate of the palace on Saturday, the interior ministry said.
Royal guards killed the gunman, identified by the ministry as a 28-year-old Saudi national armed with a Kalashnikov and three grenades.
“An outpost of the royal guard came under fire by a person who got out of a Hyundai car,” the ministry said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.
“He was immediately dealt with and his cowardly act also resulted in the martyrdom” of two royal guards, it added.
The U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia had earlier cautioned its citizens over reports of the attack.
“Due to the possibility of ongoing police activity, American citizens are advised to exercise caution when travelling through the area,” the embassy said in a brief statement.
The warning 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 others, according to the national security agency.
