Washington, June 29:The State Department said a gunman who opened fire on the US consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and a local security guard working at the consulate were killed in an exchange of fire.

The motive for Wednesday's attack was not immediately clear, the department said. The consulate went into lockdown as the shooting took place and no Americans or American staff were injured, it said. US Shooting: Gunman Kills Five Neighbours, Including a Child in Texas After Family Complained About Gunfire.

The assailant was killed by Saudi security forces, the State Department said, referring questions to the Saudi authorities, who it said were investigating. Saudi Arabia's state news agency, citing Saudi police, said the man had gotten out of a vehicle outside the consulate carrying a gun. US Shooting: Three Police Officers Shot While Responding to Domestic Incident in Minnesota.

“Authorities took the initiative to deal with him as required by the situation,” the press agency said. It said the slain consulate security worker was Nepalese.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)