Saudi Demands Syria Explain 'Sinful' Killing

Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday that one of its citizens has been killed in the restive Syrian city of Homs, demanding an explanation from Damascus for what it called a "sinful attack."

In a statement issued by the kingdom's official SPA news agency, a Saudi embassy official in the Syrian capital said Hussein bin Bandar bin Khalaf al-Anzi died early Monday while visiting family in Homs.

"The kingdom is following this sinful attack with great concern," the official said without giving any more details on the circumstances of Anzi's death.

The embassy had contacted Syrian officials over the incident, requesting "details on the circumstances of the crime" and demanding the arrest and punishment of the perpetrators, he said.

It also called on Saudi citizens in Syria to "keep away" from trouble spots in the country, where security forces have been waging a brutal eight-month crackdown on democracy turned anti-regime protests.

On Monday, Syria's state news agency SANA announced the death of "four terrorists" including Khaled al-Rajeh, also known as Bandar, in a military operation in Homs.

Syria's al-Watan newspaper, which is close to the government in Damascus, reported Tuesday that Rajeh is a Saudi national. But it remains unclear if the two named men are in fact the same individual.

The reported killing comes amid souring ties between Saudi Arabia and Syria.

Last week, an angry mob loyal to President Bashar Assad attacked the Saudi embassy in Damascus after the Arab League suspended Syria over is failure to honor a deal to end the protest crackdown.

Riyadh recalled its ambassador to Damascus on August 8 in protest over the Syrian government's repression.