Saudi king

WEBDESK

A prominent bodyguard of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has been shot dead in what authorities described as a personal dispute. This was revealed by the state TV today, offering few details on the incident.

Tributes poured in across social media for Maj. Gen. Abdulaziz al-Fagham, with many including images of the bodyguard at work. While officials posted condolences for al-Fagham, the first official word of his death came in a single tweet by Saudi state television.

The tweet read, Maj. Gen. Abdulaziz al-Fagham, the bodyguard of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, was shot dead following a personal dispute in Jiddah.

Hours later, the state-run Saudi Press Agency said the dispute saw a friend of the al-Fagham shoot and kill him, as well as wound another Saudi and a Filipino worker there.

Gun crimes are rare in Saudi Arabia, where strict Islamic law sees convicted killers and drug smugglers routinely executed.