Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki

A Saudi gunman was killed and another detained during a security forces operation in the northeast of the country that also left a policeman dead, the Interior Ministry said Saturday.

The two suspected terrorists were wanted for the murder of a soldier, two civilians and a policeman this week in the Kingdom, the SPA quoted a ministry spokesman as saying.

The operation was launched in response to a video shared on social media in which one of the two men appeared to shoot dead a man he had tied up, “at the request of Daesh,” he said.

The man was a soldier killed on Thursday by two of his cousins aged 18 and 20 near Al-Shamli, in Hail province, he added.

Investigators alleged the two brothers — Daesh followers — had also killed two civilians and a policeman in Al-Shamli on the same day, the spokesman said.

The gunmen, who were hiding in a mountainous region near Al-Shamli, refused to surrender and opened fire on security forces who retaliated, killing one and wounding the other, who was detained.

A policeman was caught in the crossfire and died.

Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki said that the video helped security forces recognize the man, who they identified as a Daesh follower and was killing on the directions of that organization.

Al-Turki explained that investigations revealed that the deceased was a 21-year-old member of the security forces, Mudawwas Ayash Al-Enezi. He added that the deceased’s cousins Sa’ad Al-Enezi, 21, and Abdul Aziz Al-Enezi, 18, lured the deceased into the desert and then killed him.

After an intensive search, the deceased’s body was found in a mountainous area. It was also revealed that the two siblings were involved in the other crimes on Thursday.

Based on information made available to the security forces, as well as the wide and quick search operations carried out with the participation of security aviation, the attackers were located in the area, leaving them unable to flee the crime scene.

They were surrounded and was asked to surrender themselves, but the assailants opened fire at the security men, who fired back.

The Ministry of Interior spokesman reiterated that security forces will not hesitate to take action against anyone who threatens the security of the Kingdom and its citizens.