The U.S. State Department said on Wednesday that an armed man exchanged fire with Saudi Arabian security near the U.S. consulate building in Jeddah, killing the gunman and a security guard, killing two people.
A State Department spokesman said in a statement that no Americans were injured in the incident.
“A person in the car stopped near the US Consulate building in Jeddah province. He got out of the car with a gun in his hand. The security department took the initiative to dispose of him as required. The exchange of fire resulted in his death,” said a police spokesman in the Mecca area.
A Nepali staff member of the consulate’s private security was injured and later died, state news agency SPA reported.
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing.
“The U.S. Embassy and Consulate remains in contact with Saudi authorities as they investigate this incident,” a State Department spokesman said.
The consulate has been targeted several times in recent years. In 2016, a suicide bomber was killed and two people were injured in an explosion near the compound.
In 2004, five people attacked the US consulate with bombs and guns, killing four Saudi security personnel outside and five local staff inside. Three attackers were killed in the attack and two were arrested.
The 2004 Jeddah attack was followed by deadly bombings and shootings targeting expatriate homes, Westerners working in the kingdom and other targets as part of al-Qaeda’s campaign to topple the ruling Saudi family.