Saudi Arabia vows to end violence in restive Eastern Province

Interior ministry says its security forces will use "an iron fist" to end violence in a Shiite Muslim area of the country and defended its tactics against what it called foreign-backed troublemakers.

LONDON // Saudi Arabia's interior ministry said its security forces would use "an iron fist" to end violence in a Shiite Muslim area of the country and defended its tactics against what it called foreign-backed troublemakers.

The kingdom has blamed an unnamed foreign power, widely understood to mean Iran, for backing attacks on its security forces in its Eastern Province.

But members of the Shiite minority in the area have accused the kingdom's own security forces of using violence against protesters.

"It is the state's right to confront those that confront it first ... and the Saudi Arabian security forces will confront such situations ... with determination and force and with an iron first," the ministry said.

Its statement came in response to a sermon preached in the Qatif area of the Eastern Province last week that criticised the government's handling of the situation, in which at least six people have been killed.

Shiite activists in Qatif said the clashes first began at the height of the Arab uprisings last year and were provoked by the detention without charge of political campaigners.

Four people were killed in November, one in January and one this month, the interior ministry has said in past statements.

Members of the minority have long complained of discrimination, which they said makes it harder for them to find government jobs, attend university or worship in open.

Since the protests and clashes started last year, they have also complained of police checkpoints and patrols that they describe as heavy-handed.

The government says it does not discriminate against Shi'ites and has said the increased security is intended to protect Qatif residents.

It has repeatedly blamed the clashes on people attacking security forces.

The statement said the security forces were using "the greatest restraint ... despite continuing provocations" and "will not act except in self defence and will not initiate confrontations".

"Some of those few are manipulated by foreign hands because of the kingdom's honourable foreign policy positions towards Arab and Islamic countries," the ministry's spokesman said.