Another Saudi Citizen Killed by Regime Forces in Shiite-Populated City
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Saudi regime’s security forces raided the houses of dissidents in al-Awamiyah city in Eastern Province for the second consecutive day, killing one person, activists said.
The individual was shot to death following the raid by Saudi forces in a Shiite-populated area in al-Awamiyah on Thursday, the Arabic-language Al Mayadeen reported.
Activists said several cars also caught fire after the shootings by security forces, according to the report.
Saudi forces also bulldozed a number of houses in a village near al-Awamiyah on Thursday.
The kingdom’s forces had also carried out several raids on al-Masoura neighborhood in al-Awamiyah early on Wednesday, killing a youth.
Pictures from the scene circulating on social media showed smoke rising over the area, where bulldozers, excavators, and police armored cars were stationed.
Al-Awamiyah, a town of 30,000 in the Shiite-majority Qatif district, was the home of Nimr al-Nimr, a Shiite cleric put to death in January last year over trumped-up charges.
The Shiite-populated Eastern Province has been the scene of peaceful demonstrations since February 2011. Protesters have been demanding reforms, freedom of expression, the release of political prisoners, and an end to economic and religious discrimination against the oil-rich region.
The protests have been met with a heavy-handed crackdown by the regime. Security forces have ramped up security measures across the province.
