RIYADH, Aug 31: Saudi police killed one suspected extremist and wounded three when their car drove through a security checkpoint in the east of the kingdom, an Interior Ministry official said on Tuesday.

"A car with four men broke through a security checkpoint. The car's lights were turned off and it was heading directly towards the security men so they shot at it," the official told the Saudi Press Agency.

"This led to the killing of one passenger and the wounding of the rest, who were arrested and are being questioned."

He said the shooting occurred while police were combing the eastern Al Ahssa governorate late on Monday after receiving information that Al Qaeda-linked suspects were hiding there. During the search, police also arrested another suspected militant and seized two cars, the official said. -Reuters