Two German Diplomat survive shooting in Saudi Arabia

Two German diplomats have survived a shooting attack on their car while on a visit to eastern  Saudi Arabia, but their vehicle was burnt.

 

A police spokesman said authorities were investigating the rare incident, which took place in the town of Awamiya on Monday evening. No other details were immediately available.

 

In Berlin, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said: "I can confirm that there was an incident during a drive out in the country. The car was shot at and it caught fire. There were no injuries. The embassy in Riyadh has launched an investigation."

 

 

 

 Awamiya and other parts of Qatif district on the Gulf coast have witnessed unrest since 2011, and at least 20 people have died as Shi'ite Muslim youths took to the streets to demand equal treatment from the Sunni Muslim-dominated government.

 

Saudi Arabia, a close US ally and the world's top oil exporter, denies discriminating against Shias and says all the killings resulted from exchanges of gunfire after police came under attack.

 

In 2012, Saudi Arabia ordered the arrest of 23 Shias in the Eastern Province, where many of the kingdom's minority Shias live, saying they were responsible for unrest.