RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Seven Saudi men convicted of theft, looting and armed robbery were executed on Wednesday, according to the country’s official news agency, more than a week after their families and a rights group appealed to the king for clemency.

The executions took place in Abha, a city in the southern region of Asir, the Saudi Press Agency said. A resident who witnessed the execution said the seven were shot dead by a firing squad, a first in the kingdom, which traditionally has beheaded convicts sentenced to death.