15 May 2011 - 19:30

Gunmen on motorcycles attacked a car belonging to the Saudi Arabian consulate in the Pakistani city of Karachi on Monday killing a Saudi "diplomat", police and the Saudi ambassador said.

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Gunmen on motorcycles attacked a car belonging to the Saudi Arabian consulate in the Pakistani city of Karachi on Monday killing a Saudi "diplomat", police and the Saudi ambassador said.

The attack came days after unidentified attackers threw two hand grenades at the Saudi consulate in the city, Pakistan's commercial hub. No one as hurt in that attack.

"We condemn this attack. No one who carries out this kind of attack can be a Muslim," the ambassador, Abdul Aziz al-Ghadeer, told Reuters. He did not give details on the rank of the diplomat who was killed.

Al Qaeda is violently opposed to the Saudi government and has vowed revenge for the killing of its leader, Saudi-born Osama bin Laden, by U.S. special forces in Pakistan on May 2.

"Four people riding on two motorcycles opened fire at the car from two sides," said a police official.

"The Saudi national killed was himself driving the car and was probably going to the consulate from his house," he said.

The motives for the two attacks remain unclear, and there have been no immediate claims of responsibility.

Pakistan's Taliban does not claim killing of Saudi diplomat

Pakistan's Taliban said it could not confirm its fighters killed a Saudi diplomat in the Pakistani city of Karachi on Monday but expressed "full support" for the attack.

"Whoever has done this, has done a very good job because, like Pakistan, Saudi Arabia is also an American slave. In fact, it's two steps ahead of Pakistan. Whichever organisations are engaged in such activities, we fully support them," said Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan by telephone from an undisclosed location.

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