Unidentified gunmen shot dead two policemen early Wednesday while they were in their patrol car close to Al-Fahs overpass in the east of Riyadh.

A search has been launched for the assailants who killed Lance Corporal Thamer Imran Al-Motairy and Lance Corporal Abdul Mohsen Al-Motairy, the police said.

The attack took place at about 1:30 a.m. while the two officers were on duty, a spokesman from Riyadh police said. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, he said.

There was a similar attack on two policemen in Riyadh 10 days ago. The two officers were wounded and treated at a local hospital.

Such attacks have been rare since 2003 when Al-Qaeda-linked militants carried out several attacks, including deadly bombings of residential compounds housing foreigners in Riyadh.

In January this year, three guards, including a commander, were killed in a desert area near the Iraqi border during a battle with Saudi militants.