Saudi Arrests 244 for Illegally Entering Pilgrim Site

Makkah, MINA – Hajj security forces arrested 244 people trying to enter the holy sites illegally, state news agency SPA reported.

“The security men have created a tight security cordon in and around the holy sites to enforce these regulations and catch the violators,” a security spokesman said as he urged people to avoid entering the holy premises without a permit.

Approximately 1,000 pilgrims will converge on the Mina Valley outside Makkah on Wednesday to begin their spiritual journey, in comparison to almost 2.5 million in 2019, Arab News reported.

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced in June that it was severely limiting the number of pilgrims this year to preserve global public health in the face of the ongoing coronavirus threat.(T/R3/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)