Shots were reportedly fired at the police in Saudi Arabia on Sunday in the village of Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr who was recently executed in the kingdom. One person, said to be a citizen, was killed in the shooting, Saudi media reported. 

Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr was behind several anti-government demonstrations in the Sunni-dominated kingdom. He was put to death along with 46 others on Saturday, leading to massive protests in Iran, during which the Saudi Embassy in Tehran was attacked and set on fire. 

The shooting at security men took place in Saudi Arabia's restive Qatif province in the eastern part of the country late on Sunday, according to the Saudi Press Agency. The Saudi state media called the incident a 'terrorist sinful action'. 

A child was also injured in the shooting.

The incident is likely to further raise sectarian tensions in the country which has 15% Shias.

Saudi Arabia cut off diplomatic ties with Iran following the attack on its embassy and also asked Iran's diplomatic mission to leave in 48 hours. 

Iranian president Hassan Rouhani condemned the Shia cleric's execution but said that the attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran 'appalling'. 

Protests had also broken out in Lebanon and in Iraq and Bahrain following the execution on Saturday. 

Riyadh had accused al-Nimr of terrorist activities and trying to create dissent in the Shia community in the country. 

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