US embassy in Saudi Arabia warns of 'Jeddah attack' close to King Salman's palace

US embassy in Saudi Arabia warns of 'Jeddah attack' close to King Salman's palace
Unconfirmed reports of a gunman firing on royal guards outside Saudi King Salman's Red Sea palace have circulated, with the US embassy warning citizens to avoid the area.
2 min read
07 October, 2017
Jeddah has reportedly been targeted by a militant [AFP]
The US embassy in Saudi Arabia sent out a tweet on Saturday warning citizens of a suspected attack in Jeddah, close to King Salman al-Saud's palace, who is currently out of the country.

It comes after unconfirmed reports that a gunman and royal guards were killed following a "foiled plot" outside the Salam Palace in Jeddah, on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast.

The US embassy in Saudi Arabia issued an emergency message on its website warning of a "security incident" outside the palace.

"Due to the possibility of ongoing police activity, American citizens are advised to exercise
caution when traveling through the area," the embassy posted on its site.

Photos allegedly from the scene showed a man lying on the road. Saudi Arabia is yet to confirm if any attack took place.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman is currently in Russia for a royal visit.

The kingdom has been targeted by al-Qaeda and Islamic State group-linked militants on numerous occassions in the past two decades, mostly targeting expatriates, foreign servicemen, the country's Shia minority, and security forces.