RIYADH — A security officer was killed in an exchange of gunfire during a raid to arrest a wanted person in the western mountain city of Taif early Friday morning, the Interior Ministry announced. Three suspects have been detained and flags of the militant group Daesh seized, along with gun silencers and computers, the Saudi Press Agency quoted an Interior Ministry spokesman as saying. Daesh is an Arabic acronym for the self-proclaimed IS. The ministry said security officers came under attack at 4:30 a.m., as they searched a home in Al-Sharqiyah district of Taif where the suspect was believed to be hiding. It said Sergent Awad Seraj Al-Malki was killed in the exchange of fire. The ministry said the wanted militant, identified as Youssef Abdullatif Shabab Al-Ghamdi, remained at large and urged the public to help capture him. It announced a reward of SR1 million for anyone providing information leading to Al-Ghamdi's arrest. He called on citizens to pass information by calling 990. The ministry spokesman urged the militant to surrender and warned of stiff action against anyone giving him shelter.
