RIYADH, June 20: Saudi police have put up a number of checkpoints all over Makkah and are engaged in a massive manhunt to track down the criminals who shot dead a Saudi police officer. Security sources have not confirmed or denied whether the shooting was related to any terror attack. Gunmen had shot dead a senior Saudi security officer outside his house in Makkah on Saturday. The unidentified gunmen shot the security officer just after he had stepped out of his house.

An informed source identified the murdered officer as Lt-Col Mubarak Al Sawat from the general investigation department.

The source said the officer had received more than 10 gunshots.

Since May 2003, Saudi Arabia has witnessed a series of shootings and bombings blamed on Al Qaeda terrorists.

Meanwhile, the Saudi interior ministry has announced it is establishing a special department for tracing illegal financial activities in the kingdom.