Four people — two policemen and two wanted militants — died in a gunbattle in the eastern city of Awamiya on Thursday, an Interior Ministry spokesman said, adding that police have arrested a key supplier of arms to militants and his three accomplices.

The gunbattle took place after police came under fire when they attempted to arrest the two militants, said Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, the spokesman.

He identified the two dead militants as Hussein Ali Al-Faraj and Ali Ahmed Al-Faraj. Two other policemen were wounded and required treatment, he pointed out.

Security forces seized two weapons, a large quantity of ammunition and a bulletproof vest, the spokesman said, warning that the authorities would crush any such resistance with an iron fist.

The policemen who died in the fight were Sergeants Naif bin Muhammad Khabrani and Dulaih Hadi Majrashi.

The clash came a day after a criminal court sentenced seven militants in Awamiya for up to 20 years for joining a demonstration and chanting anti-government slogans.

Police arrested the arms dealer on Feb. 1. They also seized 47 guns, a machine gun and other weapons from the dealer.

“Interrogations with the four proved that they have been associated with the trouble makers in Awamiya.”