RIYADH, Nov 27: Saudi security forces killed a wanted man in a shootout on Saturday in Jeddah, the interior ministry said. In a statement on the official SPA news agency, a spokesman said the clash erupted when security forces "encircled a car driven by the suspect in the Al-Jamiaa district in Jeddah" on the Red Sea.

The suspect "used a hand grenade and (police) fired at him, killing him."

Police found a cache of arms in the car, including a revolver, two automatic weapons with 11 magazines, more than 400 bullets and three hand grenades.

Earlier, a security source in Riyadh said that besides the man killed in the clash, another was arrested.

Saudi Arabia has been fighting a wave of violence, which it blames on the Al-Qaeda network and which has killed some 90 people and wounded hundreds since May 2003.

Earlier in November, a policeman was killed and eight wounded in a gunfight between Islamists and security forces in Unayzah, some 370 kilometres north of Riyadh.

The interior ministry said five Islamists were arrested at the time.-AFP