A look back at the most prominent terror attacks at Mecca’s Grand Mosque

 (AP)

Several attacks have targeted Mecca’s Grand Mosque throughout history, perhaps the oldest of which was in 1979.

More than 200 armed extremists took over Mecca’s Grand Mosque led by Juhayman al-'Utaibi and Muhammad al-Qahtani who claimed to be the Mahdi.

The attack caused a large number of casualties to civilian and security men in the courtyard of the holy site. Saudi security forces fired back at the attackers after a fatwa (religious edict) was issued.

The second attack on the holy Grand Mosque happened during the Hajj pilgrimage in 1989, where two explosions took place.

The first explosion was detonated on one of the roads leading to Grand Mosque and the other one on the bridge adjacent to it. The attack killed one person and injured 16 others.

A rocket attack almost hit the holy city last year in October. The Arab League's defenses blocked the ballistic missile launched by the Houthi militias from Yemen.

In July 2016, three suicide bombings took place in Saudi Arabia, one of them blew up in the parking lot of the emergency forces near the Prophet's Mosque leading to the death of four security men.

On Friday, The Saudi Interior Ministry has arrested five members of a cell that was planning an attack on the Grand Mosque area in Mecca.

The operation was planned by three terrorist groups, two based in Mecca and the thrid in Jeddah. The foiled attack targeted worshipers at the Grand Mosque.

A suicide bomber hiding in the Ajyad neighborhood opened fire on security forces before blowing himself up.

Six people were injured and five members of the security forces were slightly wounded.

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