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Published 02:32 IST, November 13th 2020

Dutch police detain one person over Saudi embassy shooting in The Hague

The Dutch police arrested a man after multiple shots were fired at the Saudi embassy in The Hague on Thursday, November 12; No injuries reported so far.

Reported by: Brigitte Fernandes
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The Dutch police arrested a man after multiple shots were fired at the Saudi embassy in The Hague on Thursday, November 12. As per reports, the police detained the 40-year-old suspect in Zoetermeer, 16 kilometres from The Hague, almost eight hours after the shooting incident was reported at 6 am (GMT). The incident caused severe damage to the embassy, however, there were no injuries reported, the Dutch police informed.

The shooting incident was reported a day after a bomb exploded blast was reported at a World War I commemoration event attended by foreign diplomats in the Saudi city of Jeddah.

The Hague police, in its statement, said that the investigation led to the suspect and the man was arrested in a house in Zoetermeer. The police officers have also confiscated a passenger car for further investigation and the suspect is detained and will be questioned, the statement added.

As per reports, police have also found several bullet casings outside the Saudi embassy. Police spokesman Steven van Santen told the media that forensic examination is underway involving traces on the bullet holes and the bullets.

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Saudi embassy says no staff was hurt

Meanwhile, the Saudi embassy has confirmed that none of its staff were hurt and said it had urged Saudi citizens in the Netherlands to exercise caution. The Saudi government also condemned the cowardly attack and thanked the Dutch authorities for their prompt response.

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Bomb blast attack in Saudi Arabia at World War I commemoration

On Wednesday, November 11, several people were injured in an explosion at a ceremony commemorating the end of World War I in Jeddah. According to French government officials, several countries had their representatives at the commemoration event.

"The annual ceremony commemorating the end of World War I at the non-Muslim cemetery in Jeddah, attended by several consulates, including that of France, was the target of an IED (improvised explosive device) attack this morning, which injured several people," the ministry said.

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(Representative image)

Updated 02:32 IST, November 13th 2020

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