Saudi forces kill two 'terrorists' in shoot-out: state TV

Two wanted "terrorists" were killed Wednesday during a shoot-out with security forces in eastern Saudi Arabia, Al Ekhbariya state television reported without identifying them. It said the shooting took place during a security operation in the coastal city of Dammam, a region where the Sunni-majority kingdom's Shiite minority predominate.

No other details were provided on the identity of the deceased or the security operation. Oil-rich eastern Saudi Arabia has been a flashpoint for troubles since 2011 when the region was rocked by a protest movement in the wake of the Arab Spring.

One prominent resident, Shiite cleric and government critic Nimr al-Nimr, was executed in 2016 on terrorism charges. That sparked widespread outrage and a diplomatic crisis with Riyadh's regional arch-rival, Shiite-majority Iran.

Saudi Shiites make up an estimated 10 to 15 percent of the kingdom's population of 32 million, though there are no official statistics on the community, long marginalized and disparaged as heretics. (AFP) PMS PMS