Two Killed in Saudi Regime’s Artillery Attacks in Shiite-Populated City
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Riyadh regime forces, as part of their ongoing crackdown on Shiites in the oil-rich kingdom, mounted artillery attacks against the people of al-Awamiyah in Eastern Province, killing two citizens and injuring dozens more in the besieged city, media reports said.
The Saudi military forces, once again, raided the houses of citizens in Awamiyah and fired artillery shells into residential areas, the Arabic-language al-Alam news network reported.
The Saudi regime’s military siege of the Shiite-populated city, which began in May, has become more severe in recent days, according to the report.
In the artillery attacks against the people of Awamiyah over the past two days, two people have been killed and dozens more injured.
Al-Awamiyah, a town of 30,000 in the Shiite-majority Qatif district, was the home of Nimr al-Nimr, a Shiite cleric put to death in January last year over trumped-up charges.
The Shiite-populated Eastern Province has been the scene of peaceful demonstrations since February 2011. Protesters have been demanding reforms, freedom of expression, the release of political prisoners, and an end to economic and religious discrimination against the oil-rich region.
The protests have been met with a heavy-handed crackdown by the regime.
