Saudi Arabia executes four convicted of terrorism in Qatif

Saudi Arabia has executed four people who were convicted of carrying out terrorist attacks.

The interior ministry did not identify who was killed, but said the offences were committed in the Qatif region of the oil-rich Eastern Province.

Qatif has witnessed protests and bouts of violent unrest in recent years.

It is home to many of the kingdom's Shia Muslim minority, who complain that they are marginalised and discriminated against by the Sunni monarchy.

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In the past two months, a series of attacks in Qatif have targeted security forces.

Two officers were killed in separate bombings in the town of Awamiya last Tuesday and Thursday, while another two were wounded in an attack on Saturday.

In June, a third officer and two other people died in bombings.

Activists have meanwhile accused security forces of opening fire on protesters, and say others are being jailed or sentenced to death for protest-related crimes.

Protests and attacks in Qatif have become more frequent since the January 2016 execution of the prominent Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr, who supported the protests.