Saudi Regime Forces Continue Raids in Shiite-Populated City
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Riyadh regime, as part of its clampdown on Shiite Muslims, continued attacks on residents of al-Awamiyah in the kingdom’s Eastern Province for a whole week, local media reports said.
The Al Saud security forces once again raided the houses of Shiite citizens in Awamiyah, shelling the district on Tuesday, Saudi media reported.
The regime forces have killed at least four citizens and injured many others in the city so far.
According to the reports, numerous public and private properties have been damaged following the attacks.
In the meantime, a military siege has been imposed on Awamiyah for a week.
The kingdom’s forces began to carry out attacks on the residents of al-Awamiyah last Wednesday.
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.
