Six dead in Attack on Education Offices in Saudi Arabia

A man opened fire at local education department offices in southern Saudi Arabia on Thursday, killing six employees and injuring two others, the interior ministry said, describing the incident as a criminal attack.

Ministry spokesman General Mansour al-Turki said the assault took place took place in the Aldair Bani Malik governorate in the southern province of Jazan, several kilometers from the Yemeni border, at about 2:00 pm (1100 GMT).

The attacker has been arrested, Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman General Mansour Turki said, adding that his motives remain unclear.

Saudi newspaper Sabq posted a picture of emergency vehicles outside a four-storey building. Other local media described it as a personal dispute.

Rebels in Yemen have been bombing Jazan and other southern border districts since last March when a Saudi-led coalition began air strikes and later ground operations to deter Houthi rebels there from overthrowing Yemeni President Abdel Rabbo Mansour Hadi.

In recent months, more than 90 soldiers and civilians have been killed in shelling and skirmishes in the Saudi border region. Also, a suicide bombing and gun attack on Shi’ite Muslim worshippers killed at least four people in eastern Saudi Arabia in January.