A security guard, employed in a security company, was slightly injured, Thursday, October 29, in a stabbing attack, in front of the consulate general of France in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 

Police in Mecca province, where Jeddah is located, said the assailant was Saudi, but did not specify the nationality of the guard.

The suspect was quickly arrested, according to the French Embassy in Saudi Arabia, which "strongly condemns this attack against a diplomatic hold that nothing can justify".

"We call on our compatriots in Saudi Arabia to exercise maximum vigilance," the Embassy concluded in a statement.

pic.twitter.com/L9NOpkgT6C

- France in Arabia (@FranceinKSA) October 29, 2020

This attack comes against a backdrop of strong tensions between France and some Muslim countries.

Emmanuel Macron had notably affirmed that France would not "renounce cartoons" during the tribute to Samuel Paty, causing a wave of disapproval and calls for boycott of French products in several countries.

The Saudi government on Tuesday condemned the dissemination in France of cartoons caricaturing the Prophet Muhammad, while reaffirming its refusal to see Islam associated with terrorism.

With Reuters and AFP

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