Saudi embassy attacked in Teheran: News agency

A photo posted to Twitter, said to show protesters outside the burning embassy. PHOTO: REUTERS

DUBAI (AFP/REUTERS) - Angry crowds protesting at Saudi Arabia's execution of a top Shi'ite cleric hurled petrol bombs and stormed the kingdom's embassy in Teheran on Saturday before being cleared out by police, ISNA news agency reported.

The incident came hours after the announcement of the death of 56-year-old cleric Nimr al-Nimr, who had been a key figure in anti-government protests in the kingdom's oil-rich east.

The execution prompted strong condemnation from Shi'ite-majority Iran and Iraq.

Images shared on social media early on Sunday morning appeared to show Iranian protesters breaking into Saudi Arabia's embassy and starting fires.

One photograph, posted on Twitter, showed protesters outside the embassy building with small fires burning inside, while another showed a room with smashed furniture purportedly inside the building.

Reuters could not immediately verify the images, some of which were posted by correspondents at Iranian news agencies and newspapers.

Soon afterwards, more tweets showed what appeared to be police clearing the protesters from the embassy.

(This is a developing story)

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