A number of people are said to have been injured in the blasts
Saudi police have killed seven people they describe as militants after two car bombs exploded in the centre of Riyadh on Wednesday evening.
One person was reported killed by the first bomb, near the interior ministry, which was set off after a failed bid to storm the office.
A second bomb exploded hurting four people after a car driver's attempt to ram into a special forces centre.
Security forces later raided a house in the capital and killed seven suspects.
Security forces in the oil-rich kingdom have been waging a campaign against Islamic militants since May 2003.
Ongoing clashes
An area was closed off around the ministry following the first blast at about 2035 (1735 GMT).
The explosion shattered windows in the ministry and neighbouring buildings.
Security sources said the second bomb was detonated after the car driver tried to enter the centre, prompting an exchange of fire with guards.
The timing of the attacks - at night, when there was no-one in the buildings - helped to keep the number of casualties down.
The BBC's Kim Ghattas says such bold, co-ordinated attacks are mostly seen as a message from the militants to the Saudi authorities.
'Bin Laden' tape
The news came hours after officials said police killed a gunman in Riyadh, the second suspected militant killed in two days.
Many militants and security men have been killed in similar clashes since then. Hundreds of suspects have been rounded up.
Wednesday's attacks came two weeks after an audio tape said to have been recorded by al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden called on his supporters to rise up against Saudi leaders.
Nine people, including four militants, were killed when militants stormed the US consulate building in Jeddah earlier this month.
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