Saudi blast car was carrying munitions, says ministry

RIYADH: A car that exploded in eastern Saudi Arabia killing its two occupants was carrying munitions, the interior ministry said on Friday.

The Thursday evening blast was the latest incident in Qatif, which has seen criminal violence as well as protests.

Police spotted a stolen sports utility vehicle used “to carry out terrorist and criminal crimes” and then took “necessary action”, a ministry statement said.

“As a result, it caught fire and exploded,” killing its two occupants.

“An investigation is underway to reveal the identity of those two individuals.”

Police found firearms and ammunition, some of which exploded as a result of the blaze, the ministry said.

Footage that circulated on social media showed thick smoke rising from a vehicle engulfed in flames, with periodic sounds of explosions.

Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province has been rocked by unrest since 2011.

Last month, violence escalated around a redevelopment project in the old Almosara section of Awamiya, a Qatif district town.

The interior ministry said criminals engaged in the drug and arms trade were involved in that unrest, which led to the death of a policeman in a rocket-propelled grenade strike, and two civilians killed by gunfire.