Saudi Arabia Denies Suicide Bomber Reports at Grand Mosque in Makkah

Saudi authorities have denied reports that a suicide bomber attempted to detonate an explosive vest inside the Grand Mosque in Makkah.

Unverified reports circulating online claimed that a man wearing an explosive-laden vest had approached the Kaaba and attempted to detonate the device. The reports said the device failed to explode.

Saudi security authorities, however, gave a different account. They said officers arrested a man for harassing passersby and causing fear and panic. Authorities did not provide further details about the detainee.

The official account does not confirm that the man carried explosives or attempted a suicide bombing.

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The reports of an attempted bombing spread on social media before Saudi authorities issued their clarification.

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Security officials in the holy capital said the circulating claims were inaccurate. They confirmed the arrest but described the incident as harassment that caused panic among people in the area.

No information has been released about possible charges against the detained man.

Separate Tensions Over Madinah Power Station

The reports emerged a day after the Saudi-led coalition accused Yemen’s Houthi movement of attacking a power distribution station in Madinah.

The coalition said the attack damaged one transformer at the facility, which supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque. It said the wider electricity network remained operational.

The coalition attributed the attack to the Houthis after examining drone wreckage. Houthi sources rejected the accusation and called it false.

Saudi Arabia had also previously said it intercepted a Houthi drone south of Makkah. The coalition described that incident as an attempted attack on the holy city, while the Houthis denied targeting Makkah or any Islamic holy site.

Regional Tensions Continue

The developments come amid renewed fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned Houthi movement.

Reuters reported that the latest escalation represents the most serious Saudi-Houthi fighting since a UN-brokered truce largely halted cross-border attacks in 2022. Hostilities have intensified again this year following Houthi attacks on Saudi territory and shipping.

Saudi Arabia has responded with airstrikes in Yemen and continues to support forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government.

There is no official evidence linking the reported Makkah incident to the Houthi conflict. Saudi authorities’ current account concerns an individual detained for causing panic at the Grand Mosque.