Three Saudi border guards, including a senior officer, have been killed in an attack on the border with Iraq.
Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry said the attack took place after four unidentified gunmen in the Arar region opened fire on a border patrol.
Saudi guards apprehended one of the gunmen, who then detonated an explosives belt, killing three of the guards, including General Oudah al-Belawi.
The other three gunmen were shot dead by the Saudi side.
Saudi Arabia's top religious body condemned the attack and reiterated its support for the government in its fight against extremist groups.
The Islamic State militant group, which is engaged in heavy fighting in Iraq and Syria, has reportedly seized a swathe of territory along the border between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, despite heavy Saudi defenses and camera and radar monitoring.
