Saudi Arabia arrests 54 'terror suspects' during Hajj

Saudi police have arrested dozens of suspected terrorists during the Hajj religious event this week.

2 min read

18 September, 2016

This year's holy Muslim pilgrimage saw unprecedented security measures [Getty]

Saudi authorities have arrested dozens of suspected terrorists during the first nine days of Hajj, the Saudi Gazette reported.

The suspects include 30 Saudis, 13 Bahrainis, four Yemenis, and others of different nationalities.

Among the 54 was a citizen of Brunei, the first from the southeast Asian country to be arrested on charges of terrorism, the daily said.

Security sources did not identify the man but said he was arrested in Riyadh without any resistance.

They said the accused is currently being investigated to verify his involvement in terror operations that took place in the kingdom or if he had any connections with or had supported terrorist organisations in the country.

This year's holy Muslim pilgrimage saw unprecedented security measures, according to Captain Tareq al-Azam, whose team has been on round the clock duty monitoring this year's 1.8 pilgrims.

More than 5,000 cameras were installed across Mecca, covering a radius of about 10 kilometres around the Grand Mosque.

Dozens of soldiers have also been deployed in the area.

The pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam, which capable Muslims must perform at least once, marking the spiritual peak of their lives.

The pilgrims come from every corner of the globe. Indonesia - the most populous Muslim nation - has the largest contingent.