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— Domani Spero

The US Embassy in Saudi Arabia released a Security Message for U.S. Citizens in the country concerning an attack that occurred in the Eastern Province of the country and advises U.S. citizens to avoid the area.  The German Foreign Ministry in Berlin confirmed that the security incident involves two German diplomats who were shot at, their official vehicle burned but no reported injuries.

On the night of January 13, 2014, two German diplomats were attacked by unknown gunmen while traveling through the Awamiyah neighborhood of the al-Qatif Governorate in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.  While the attack disabled their vehicle (which subsequently burned), the two diplomats escaped to safety.  The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia has re-instructed its employees and their family members to avoid Awamiyah and advises all U.S. citizens to do the same. Regardless of where you are, it is always advisable to keep your security and situational awareness levels high.

Please follow these good personal security practices:

Avoid crowds or large gatherings when traveling in public;

Know where you are going and have a plan of what to do in the event you encounter demonstrations or violence;

Identify safe areas (for example police stations, hospitals, Saudi Government buildings) in your area and how to get to them quickly;

Tell co-workers or neighbors where you’re going and when you intend to return;

Minimize your profile while in public;

Always carry a cell phone and make sure you have emergency numbers pre-programmed into your phone such as U.S. Consulate General in Dhahran (013-330-3200), the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh (011-488-3800), and U.S. Consulate General in Jeddah (012-667-0080).  The emergency number for the Saudi Police, Fire, and Rescue is 999;

Be prepared to postpone or cancel activities for personal safety concerns.

Active link added above.

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Related articles

• Motive for Attack on German Embassy Car in Saudi Still Unclear (blogs.wsj.com)
• German diplomats survive shooting in Saudi Arabia (telegraph.co.uk)
• German diplomats reportedly survive gun attack in Saudi Arabia (euronews.com)
• Diplomats dodge bullets in Saudi Arabia (worldnews.nbcnews.com)
• German diplomats survive attack in Saudi Arabia (gulfnews.com)