Saudi Arabia Denies Attempted Suicide Bombing at Grand Mosque
RIYADH: Saudi Arabian authorities have denied social media reports of an attempted suicide bombing at the Grand Mosque in Makkah after a video claiming that a man wearing an explosive vest had tried to approach the Kaaba went viral online.
The Saudi Interior Ministry said on Oct 2 that a man had indeed been arrested in Makkah, but his detention was not linked to any attempted bombing as claimed on social media.
According to the authorities, the man was detained for disturbing members of the public and causing fear and panic.
“Security authorities in the holy city arrested an individual for disturbing passers-by and causing fear and panic among them.
“He was immediately dealt with at the scene, and the necessary legal action was taken before he was referred to the Public Prosecution,” the authorities said in a statement.
Security authorities stressed that claims circulating about the incident were false and urged the public to obtain information from official sources.
No further details were provided about the man’s identity or what he had done to cause fear among the public.
The clarification came after several videos circulating on social media platform X garnered hundreds of thousands of views, accompanied by claims that security forces had foiled an attempted attack at the Grand Mosque.
Several posts claimed that a man wearing an explosive vest had attempted to approach the Kaaba before being detained by security personnel.
However, Saudi authorities rejected the claims and stressed that no attempted bombing had taken place.
The Kaaba, located at the centre of the Grand Mosque, is Islam’s holiest site and serves as the qibla, the direction Muslims around the world face when performing their prayers.
Rumours surrounding the incident attracted greater attention as they emerged amid heightened security vigilance in Saudi Arabia following tensions with the Houthi group in Yemen.
Last September, the Saudi-led military coalition said a drone allegedly launched by the Houthis had been intercepted south of Makkah before entering restricted airspace over the holy city.
It was the first such incident involving Makkah since 2017, while yesterday morning, the Houthis were also alleged to have attacked an energy facility near Madinah.
AGENSI