Saudia Arabia claims that two militants were killed after police fought running gun battles yesterday.
The violence broke out in the eastern Saudi Arabian city of Damman, about 250 miles northeast of the capital Riyadh.
An Interior Ministry statement said security forces were carrying out a security operation "against a number of elements affiliated to the 'deviant group,'" a term that usually refers to al-Qaeda's branch in this kingdom.
Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya satellite TV reported that militants fired a rocket-propelled grenade and hurled hand grenades at security personnel and set one police vehicle on fire.
Since May 2003, Islamic militants have carried out suicide bombings and kidnappings, and have regularly battled security forces.
The attacks, which have tended to target Westerners and housing complexes where Westerners live, have been blamed on al-Qaeda and its allies.
AP