The killing came with the Gulf region on alert against attacks by ISIS, which has been blamed for killing other Saudi policemen and has claimed three deadly mosque bombings in the kingdom and Kuwait.

The ministry said security officers came under fire as they searched for a suspect at a home in Taif, a mountain city about 200 kilometers (125 miles) east of Jeddah at 4:30 am (0130 GMT).

A sergeant died “as a result of the exchange of fire,” said a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.

“They arrested three suspects, confiscated Daesh flags, silencers and personal laptops,” the ministry added.

Daesh is an Arabic acronym for ISIS, Sunni extremists known for their brutality who have seized large parts of Iraq and Syria, inspiring attacks elsewhere in the world.

The wanted man, identified as Yousif Abdulatif Shabab al-Ghamdi, remains at large.

An ISIS-affiliated group in Saudi Arabia, calling itself Najd Province, claimed the suicide bombings in May and June at mosques of the minority Shiite community.

Shiites have intensified security around their houses of worship throughout the Gulf as a result. ISIS considers Shiites to be heretics.

The ministry has called on the man to surrender, and urged anyone with information on his whereabouts to call the number 990. Those who help Al-Ghamdi in any way would face legal consequences, the ministry stated.

Meanwhile, several people on social networking sites have praised the security forces for foiling the plans of the group. These terrorists were targeting houses of God, they said.