Saudi police die in Jeddah clash

Two Saudi security force members have been killed in clashes with gunmen in the city of Jeddah, say officials from the Saudi Arabian interior ministry.

The gunmen opened fire at guards on duty outside a prison in the Ruwais district of the city, officials said.

It is unclear who the gunmen were, or if they were injured. Police surrounded the building where they took cover.

Saudi authorities say 136 Islamic militant suspects have been arrested in recent months.

"Guards on duty around Ruwais prison came under fire from a nearby building leading to the death of two security force members," said an interior ministry statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.

Saudi security forces have been waging a campaign against suspected sympathisers of the al-Qaeda militant movement since a spate of attacks in the kingdom beginning in 2003.