At least 12 people were feared killed and several expatriates taken hostages after gunmen attacked the premises of an oil company in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, CNN has reported.

It is believed that the dead include expatriates from Asian countries like Pakistan and Philippines. The attackers reportedly released the Arab hostages but continue to hold Westerners.

An effort by Saudi security forces to storm the premises was reportedly repelled by the militants.

This is another in a series of attacks on Western, specifically America, targets in Saudi Arabia.