A shooting incident outside the US consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday left two people dead, including a member of the consulate’s local guard force and the assailant, who was killed by Saudi security forces, according to a statement by the US State Department.
The consulate was locked down during the incident and no Americans were harmed, the statement said. The US Embassy in Riyadh and the consulate in Jeddah remain in contact with Saudi authorities as they investigate the incident.
The motive and identity of the attacker are not yet known. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
This is not the first time that the US consulate in Jeddah has been targeted by militants. In 2016, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives near the consulate, wounding two policemen. In 2004, gunmen stormed the consulate, killing nine people, including four security guards and five staff.