A senior German diplomat has denied press reports that two German diplomats were on an intelligence gathering mission in Awamiya in the Eastern Province on Jan. 13 when unknown gunmen shot at them and torched their car.

Michael Ohnmacht, chargé d’affaires at the German Embassy, said on Monday that he sees “no political motive behind the shooting, which was, in fact, an isolated incident.”

He added: “We are in constant touch with the Saudi authorities and we expect that it takes time to arrive at a conclusion in a criminal case like this.”

The diplomat explained: “The process should not be disturbed … our cooperation with the Saudi authorities is close and based on mutual trust. What I can affirm is that German diplomats and German nationals in Saudi Arabia are not exposed to any increased or particular threat.”

According to reports published after the Jan. 13 shooting, the Saudi authorities were hunting for the gunmen. Saudi police sources were not available at the time of going to press to comment on the progress of the case.

However, police sources earlier confirmed that “a full-fledged investigation” was underway into the shooting and the criminals would be brought to book soon.

Meanwhile, the German government is trying to secure the release of a German citizen in his '60s who was snatched on Friday by a Yemeni man in the capital Sana'a and reportedly held in a tribal region in the east of the country. The kidnapper wants the Yemeni government to release his two imprisoned sons.