(CNN) Saudi elite forces are in the process of razing the historic quarter of a largely Shia town in the country's eastern province after months of clashes with gunmen in the area. The move is the culmination of a three-month government campaign to root out gunmen from the 400-year-old Musawara neighborhood of Awamiya. In recent weeks, Saudi police stepped up operations in Musawara and dispatched commandos, the Saudi Special Forces, to the area. A government source tells CNN, Saudi forces are nearly "95% done" flushing out the fighters and the area is expected to be cleared within days. Musawara is home to up to 3,000 people, all of whom, the government says, are being evicted with compensation and alternative housing.

Source: CNN August 12, 2017 10:07 UTC