MOSCOW, June 29. /TASS/. Security measures near the Russian consulate general in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, have been bolstered after a shoot-out took place near the US diplomatic mission in the city on Wednesday.
"The staff of the Consulate General is okay, everyone is doing well. This situation has not affected us in any way," the Russian diplomatic mission told TASS on Thursday. "In terms of security, we have taken [the incident] into consideration. All those on duty guarding the perimeter have been instructed of the need to be more vigilant and pay greater attention to anything suspicious. The local [authorities have] reacted and, so far, we see that security measures have been beefed up," the diplomats said.
A diplomat at the consulate told the news agency that the consulate general is now being guarded by two police cars in addition to permanent armed security guards. "At this moment, we are proceeding from the premise that these security measures are sufficient," he concluded.
Earlier, the Saudi Press Agency reported that at 6:45 p.m. (coincides with Moscow time) on Wednesday, a gunman stepped out of a vehicle near the US consulate in Jeddah Province. Security forces took the initiative to act as the situation warranted and proceeded to eliminate the gunman, who was killed in the ensuing shoot-out. A security guard of Nepalese origin was killed in the shooting.
The attack on the US consulate in Jeddah occurred on the last day of the hajj, or pilgrimage to Islam’s holy sites in Mecca. Eid al-Adha (known in some countries as Kurban Bayrami), or the Feast of Sacrifice, one of the two main Muslim holidays, is also celebrated on this day.