Terrorism

Man arrested after stabbing at French consulate in Saudi Arabia

Cars drive along the New Corniche seafront development on June 23, 2018 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The New Corniche includes hotels, residential buildings and large tracts of public space that have become a popular destination for locals.
Sean Gallup | Getty Images

A man in his forties has been arrested in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after attacking a security guard at the French consulate in the kingdom's coastal city, Saudi state media SPA reported Thursday. The attack resulted in "minor injuries," Saudi authorities said, and the victim has been transported to a hospital for treatment.

"The Embassy of France firmly condemns this unjustifiable attack against a diplomatic post," the French embassy in Saudi Arabia said in a statement shortly after the attack, thanking Saudi authorities for their rapid response to the case. It urged French citizens in the kingdom to be on maximum alert.

The stabbing took place just hours after a terror attack in a church in Nice, France, that left three people dead. French police have arrested the assailant and are treating the killings as a terrorist attack.