Photo: Saudi Arabia Defence Ministry website hacked after Shia cleric's execution

A group of young Saudi hackers took down the Saudi Defense Ministry’s website in protest over the execution of prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, Iran’s Fars news agency reported.

The cyber-attack was carried out on Sunday night by a group of young Saudis called "Brave Youth Fighting Religious Taboos" and remained inaccessible for several hours.

The hackers said their attack on the Saudi Defense Ministry’s website was meant as retribution for the execution of Sheikh Nimr by the Riyadh government.

"We will continue defending the religious sanctities and also targeting the enemies and oppressors involved in the killing of the freedom-seekers and revolutionaries," the hackers said in a statement issued after hacking the website.