Police death in Saudi shooting
(CNN) -- Fighting between Saudi security forces and militants has left a police officer dead and nine others wounded, and led to the arrests of five militants, according to an Interior Ministry official.
Brig. Gen. Mansour al-Turki said five people, including two "considered terrorists and wanted," were arrested. He told CNN the incident took place early Wednesday in Al Qassim, 350 kilometers (220 miles) northwest of Riyadh.
The fighting started when security forces noticed people leaving a house that been under suspicion and followed a car that left the house.
The three or four people in the car noticed they were being followed and started shooting at the police, al-Turki said.
Police were able to stop the car and make some arrests. They then returned to the house to search the premises.
When they arrived at the building, more intense shooting broke out, killing the police officer in the process.
Eight police officers were injured, with four receiving light wounds and four others moderate wounds. One of the militants was also wounded.
Eventually, police got into the house, where they found weapons, bombs, money and personal computers, al-Turki said.
In recent months, Saudi Arabia has been wracked by acts of terrorism. The ruling royal family is cracking down on the al Qaeda militants it says are responsible.
In September, a French national who worked as an engineer in Saudi Arabia was ambushed and killed by gunmen as he drove through a Jeddah neighborhood.
American Paul Johnson was kidnapped and beheaded in Saudi Arabia in June. He was an engineer for Lockheed Martin in the capital Riyadh when he was abducted by al Qaeda militants. His head was found in a freezer.
Dozens of Saudi militants surrendered to security officials last summer under a government leniency program.
CNN.com Arabic Editor Caroline Faraj contributed to this report.
