The U.S. Consulate in the city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia was attacked Monday, according to the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh. A representative of the Embassy Carol Kalin reported that “there has been an attack on the U.S. consulate in Jeddah.” “The incident is ongoing with Saudi security forces trying to secure the building," he added.

 

The incident involved some shooting between the four attackers that tried to break into the consulate building in a vehicle and the security forces. The vehicle exploded outside of the building. Witnesses report seeing smoke rising from the building. There were hundreds of security forces blocking approaches to the area, and a lot of police cars around the building. Inside the buildings, bystanders have heard alarms.

 

A Western executive reported the use of hand grenades in the assault. He said that “several men breached U.S. and Saudi security and lobbed one or several grenades at the building."

 

Kalin informed the reporters that ‘the embassy in Riyadh and the missions in Jeddah and Dhahran have been closed as a precaution”.

 

Recently, Saudi Arabia has seen a wave of violence, much of which was sponsored by Al Qaeda. In August this year, a U.S. Consulate vehicle was attacked with gunfire. The driver and the consulate American employee who were inside the vehicle were not injured in the attack.

 

According to the latest reports, four local guards were murdered in the incident, and 18 more local employees were taken hostage. One attacker has been killed, and two more were captured. US citizens were not hurt.

 

 

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