One person killed in shooting at police in Sheikh Nimr village

The official Saudi news agency reports that a man was shot dead in a town where Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, the executed Shia cleric, originated, during a shooting at police. The agency describes this incident as a 'terrorist act' that occurred late on Sunday, January 3. According to official reports from Saudi Arabia, security forces are pursuing individuals who fired upon their officers. The Saudi news agency also reported that an eight-year-old boy was injured in this 'attack' in the town of Awamiya and has been taken to the hospital. At the time of the attack, security forces were 'searching for heavy equipment' that they claimed had been 'stolen'. Reuters reports that residents of the city of Qatif, where the town of Awamiya is located, have protested in recent hours following the execution of Sheikh Nimr. Qatif is situated in a rich oil region in eastern Saudi Arabia and was one of the main centers of Shia protests in Saudi Arabia at the beginning of 2011, with Sheikh Nimr being one of its prominent figures. Saudi Arabia executed this Shia cleric along with dozens of others accused of 'terrorism'. The execution of Sheikh Nimr has brought new tensions to the tumultuous relations between Tehran and Riyadh. Yesterday, Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic relations with Iran following an attack on its embassy in Tehran. The attack and burning of part of the Saudi embassy received widespread media coverage globally and has also sparked criticism within Iran. Just hours before the severance of diplomatic relations, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reacted to the execution of Sheikh Nimr by stating, 'Without a doubt, the hand of divine vengeance will seize the Saudi politicians.' Western officials have expressed their concerns over further tensions in the crisis-ridden Middle East region. Meanwhile, a group of politicians has warned about the executions in Saudi Arabia and expressed their concerns. In this context, Saudi Arabia cut its relations with Iran. Iran stated that severing relations cannot cover up the mistake of executing Sheikh Nimr. Clinton remarked that executions in Saudi Arabia will further inflame the region. Fars reported on Saudi Arabia's efforts to unite Gulf Cooperation Council countries against Iran. The U.S. response to Riyadh's severance of diplomatic relations with Tehran has also been noted.