Dubai: A Saudi Arabian police officer was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade on Tuesday in a Awamiya town, the interior ministry said, as deadly fighting escalated.
A member of the special police emergency forces died when a rocket-propelled grenade was launched from inside the neighbourhood and hit his patrol unit in the Almosara area of Awamiya, the ministry said in a statement.
"Five others were injured and taken to hospital," it said.
terrorists fired (RPG) at security patrol, Soldier was killed, 5 injured in #Mosawara #Awamiya #العوامية #المسورة #Qatif #SaudiArabia pic.twitter.com/8QQweDwe64
— Thamer (@thamer7177) May 16, 2017
Awamiya is a town of 30,000 in Qatif district of Eastern Province.
The police officer is at least the third person killed in the Gulf coast town of Awamiya since Wednesday.
The unrest centres on Awamiya's old Almosara district, which is the site of a redevelopment project.
"It's really war," said an area resident who reported his home has been shaken by explosions in the past two days.
On Friday the ministry said a two-year-old boy and a Pakistani died when gunmen from within Almosara opened fire on passersby, security officers and workers on the project.
