JEDDAH: One person died and 13 others were injured on Sunday in what was reportedly a fight between members of a local tribe aged between 19 and 65.

The conflict began when a man entered King Abdullah Secondary School in Al-Majmaa on Sunday morning and assaulted a teacher. The teacher’s colleagues intervened to save him, resulting in various injuries requiring treatment at King Khaled Hospital. The perpetrator was arrested by security patrols.

However, this was not the end of the fight. The victim and the perpetrator then called on their brothers and relatives to settle the conflict by fighting. The two sides met near the Zibda nursery. During the violent confrontation one person was shot to death, while 13 others sustained serious injuries.

Security teams are guarding the injured at King Khaled Hospital to prevent an escalation of the situation, while investigations are underway to determine the cause of the incident.

The Department of Education in Al-Majmaa issued a statement stating that neither the school nor the students had anything to do with the incident. The perpetrator was not an employee or a parent of a student.

The assault appears to be the result of a family dispute between the offender and the teacher. The perpetrator had reportedly arrived at the school and requested to see the teacher, after identifying himself as his relative. He then proceeded to hit the teacher in front of other school staff members and bit him on the nose.

Saleh Al-Rabiah, director of education in the province, condemned the man, saying that it showed no respect for teachers who must educate children of the community. Department officials have been unable to visit the teacher at the hospital for security reasons.