RIYADH, Saudi police forces exchanged fire with a group of masked men during a protest in the kingdom's east killing one, state news agency SPA reported early Saturday, in the second such incident over the past 48 hours.

“Security forces came under fire from masked gunmen as they were following an unauthorised gathering (Friday) in the Shia town of Al-Awamiya in Qatif province,” SPA quoted a police spokesman as saying. Police “responded, sparking a fire exchange that resulted in wounding one of them who died later.”