JEDDAH: Police have arrested three suspects in the killing of a retired general in the southern region of Jazan, the Ministry of Interior said on Saturday.

The suspects were identified as Yemeni nationals Osamah Ahmed Al-Rajehi and Mohammed Ahmed Al-Rajehi and Saudi citizen Mowafaq Al-Harbi.

In a statement, the ministry said the trio conspired to murder Ahmed Faiy'a Al-Assiri, a retired brigadier general, at his ranch in Abu Arish town in Jazan last week.

Acting on a tip from a citizen, police arrested the suspects and managed to locate the murder weapon.

During the investigation, Osamah Ahmed Al-Rajehi confessed to his role as the gunman and that they were carrying out directives from the Daesh terrorist group, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported, quoting an Interior Ministry spokesman.

Osamah pointed to Mowafaq Al-Harbi as the person who supplied the pistol and silencer that was used in the crime. Osama's brother Mohammed confessed to his role as an accomplice in the crime by hiding the gun and silencer inside the water tank at the rooftop, the report said.

Probers were able to match fingerprints located in the crime scene with those of the culprits and also ascertained that the gun recovered was the one used in the murder.