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Saudi man killed, kid injured in shooting in executed leading Shiite cleric's hometown

Xinhua, January 4, 2016 Adjust font size:

Saudi police said on Monday that a man was killed and a child was injured in a heavy shooting in the disturbed city al-Awamiyah in the Eastern Province, Saudi Press Agency reported.

According to the spokesperson for the Eastern province police, the shooting occurred late night Sunday as the police officers came under fire from an unidentified source when they were recovering stolen heavy equipment.

The shooting killed a man, who was identified as Ali Imran al-Dawood without further details. His eight-year old son was taken to a local hospital and is now in stable condition, said the spokesperson, adding that the case is under investigation, while hunting for the perpetrators is also underway.

The shooting came just one day after the execution of a leading Saudi Shiite cleric Nimer al-Nimer, an al-Awamiyah native, along with 46 others over terror charges.

Nimer was rather influential among the Kingdom's Shiite minority, who mostly live in Al Qatif region. The region has been known for disturbances as young Saudi Shiites often demand more rights in the Sunni conservative Monarch.

The execution has stoked criticisms among the Shiite populations in the region, especially in Iran, where protesters stormed Riyadh's embassy in Tehran, and set it on fire, forcing Saudi diplomats to evacuate the Islamic Republic.

The Iranian government has arrested some 40 who participated in ransacking the missions.

Also on Sunday, Saudi Arabia announced that it is severing ties with Iran over the attacks on its diplomatic missions. It also asked the Iranian diplomat to leave Riyadh. Enditem