Saudi King Salman’s personal bodyguard General Abdulaziz al-Faghm died of a gunshot wound following an altercation during a personal dispute, according to Saudi media reports.
A Mecca Police Spokesman confirmed his death, saying it was due to a gunshot wound after he was shot at by his friend. Five Saudi security officers were injured.
A statement by the spokesman narrated the events of the incident, saying the late major general was visiting his friend in Jeddah, when a third friend named Mamdouh bin Mishaal al-Ali joined them.
After a heated discussion, al-Ali left the house, came back with a gun, and shot at al-Faghm, which led to the injury of three, including the deceased. The other two are the brother of the house owner and a Filipino domestic worker, according to the statement.
Following the arrival of security forces, the perpetrator shot at them and injured five while refusing to surrender, which prompted them to kill him.
Abdulaziz al-Faghm later died in the hospital.
The statement also said that all injured have been transferred to the hospital for treatment and are stable.
Al-Faghm had also served as the personal bodyguard of late King Abdullah.
Al-Faghm’s family mourned his death in the early hours of Sunday, and Saudi Twitter was filled with reactions to the news of his death in Jeddah, making his name in Arabic the number one worldwide trend on the social media platform.
“God bless my uncle, General Abdulaziz Baddah al-Faghm, after he was killed in his friend’s house by a third friend (treacherously),” Baddah al-Faghm tweeted.
"May you rest in peace, hero ... I have seen nothing but good and loyalty from you for ten years … I can’t comprehend that I won’t be seeing you anymore," Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority Turki al-Alsheikh tweeted.
