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The three-metre snake was found by navy personnel crawling towards their barracks at a camp near Jeddah. Image Credit: Public domain photo

Jeddah: A surprise guest  greeted sailors at a navy camp in western Saudi Arabia -- a three-metre snake crawling towards their living quarters.

The navy personnel gave a chase to the unwelcome intruder near in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah and killed it, the Sada daily reported.

The paper said the men were going to their barracks when they saw the reptile slithering along towards their housing complex.

“The soldiers were surprised at the size of the snake…many of them joined hands in chasing the snake and killing it,” the report said.

It was not immediately clear what sort of snake it was.

Snakes, common in the desert, come out in the evenings. There are over 50 species of snakes found in Saudi Arabia -- including cobras, horned vipers, and sea snakes.