Saudi forces shoot dead wanted terrorist

State security forces in Saudi Arabia shot dead a wanted terrorist in the kingdom’s Eastern Province on Monday evening, according to Saudi Press Agency.

The Saudi national, Abdullah bin Mirza Ali Al-Qalaf, was spotted near a farm between the towns of Awamiyah and Qudayh in a silver Hyundai Sonata car with a false plates.

When he was approached by security forces he refused to respond and began opening fire.

The security team returned fire and the man was killed. No injuries were sustained by the security team or members of the public, according to the report.

In a rare step, authorities chose to list and release pictures of Al-Qalaf’s possessions when he was killed. They included a Kalashnikov submachine gun, 9mm glock pistol, 94 machine gun bullets, 14 pistol bullets, an equipment holder, military clothing, four face masks and an accessory to reduce muzzle flash.

Images of his bullet-riddled car were also shown.

فيما لم يصب أحد من المارة أو رجال الأمن بأي أذى ولله الحمد، وقد ضبط داخل السيارة على :
1 – سلاح رشاش كلاشنكوف.
2 – مسدس جلوك عيار ( 9 ) ملم.
3 – عدد ( 94 ) طلقة رشاش.
4 – عدد ( 14 ) طلقة مسدس.
5 – مانع وميض.
6 – حامل معدات.
7 – بدلة عسكرية.
8 – عدد ( 4 ) أقنعة وجه. pic.twitter.com/G5WFdtphfS

— واس (@spagov) January 16, 2018

State security said he was involved in a number of crimes including the November killing of security forces member Abdullah Al-Qahtani.

Saudi authorities have been conducting a campaign against gunmen in the Qatif area after years of attacks on police forces.

In September, the government said demolition of the 200-year-old Al-Musawara district in the town of Al-Awamiyah was completed.

The operation to tear down the district, which has been at the centre of protests by the kingdom’s Shia minority, began in May.

Read: Saudi authorities complete clean-up of Al-Musawara