Saudi police find body of kidnapped Shiite judge after shootout

Saudi police have recovered the body of a kidnapped pro-government Shiite judge after a shootout in which a policeman and a suspected militant were killed, AFP reported Monday, citing the Interior Ministry. The remains of Judge Mohammed al-Jirani were found on a farm in the town of Awamiya in the kingdom’s Eastern Province. The area has been a hotbed of protests among the Shiite minority for years. The raid took place last Tuesday. Subsequent DNA tests confirmed that a body recovered was that of Sheikh Jirani, according to a ministry spokesperson. The slain suspect, named as Salman al-Faraj, was wanted on suspicion of terrorism offences. Sheikh Jirani was kidnapped in December 2016 in front of his Awamiya home.