On Friday, October 2, 2026, Saudi authorities in Makkah swiftly moved to dispel widespread social media claims regarding a suicide bomber at the sacred Grand Mosque. Officials clarified that security personnel had, in fact, apprehended an individual for harassing passersby and inciting panic among them, not for any bomb-related threat.
The Saudi General Directorate of Public Security, communicating through its official X (formerly Twitter) account, confirmed the arrest in the Holy Capital. They stated that security forces promptly managed the situation, taking legal action against the person before referring them to the Public Prosecution. The directorate explicitly debunked all circulating reports of a bombing attempt, urging the public to rely solely on verified information from official government sources.
This official statement became necessary after various videos gained traction across social media platforms. These clips falsely portrayed security personnel apprehending an alleged suicide bomber near the Kaaba within the Grand Mosque complex. Many posts accompanying the footage erroneously claimed a man, supposedly wearing an explosive vest, had attempted to detonate it close to the holy site.
However, a closer examination reveals that the viral video footage is not recent. It dates back to February 2017, depicting an entirely different incident. At that time, as reported by Arab News, Saudi security forces successfully intervened to prevent a man from setting himself ablaze near the Kaaba after he poured petrol on his clothes. He was apprehended before he could execute the act. This old footage has since been misleadingly recirculated, creating unnecessary alarm by linking it to current events in Makkah.
Image: siasat.com
đź“° Source: Siasat Gulf