Saudi King Salman has died: reports

Riyadh: A day after Saudi authorities detained three princes including King Salman´s brother and nephew on charges of plotting a coup, Rita Katz, Director of SITE Intelligence Group said Saudi King Salman has died.

Citing unconfirmed reports, she said if they turn out to be true, it will explains the arrests of members of Saudi royal family.

Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, a brother of King Salman, and the monarch´s nephew Prince Mohammed bin Nayef were accused of treason and taken from their homes early Friday by black-clad royal guards, the Wall Street Journal reported citing unnamed sources.

The Saudi royal court has accused the two men, once potential contenders for the throne, of “plotting a coup to unseat the king and crown prince” and could face lifetime imprisonment or execution, the newspaper said.

The New York Times also reported the detentions, adding that Prince Nayef´s younger brother, Prince Nawaf bin Nayef, had also been detained.