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Video of Man Ramming Through Gates of Mecca's Grand Mosque in a Car Emerges Online

© REUTERS / Yasser Bakhsh A general view of the Grand Mosque is pictured as the first group of Muslims, allowed in the mosque compound by appointment, practice social distancing, to perform Umrah, after Saudi authorities ease coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions, in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, October 3, 2020. REUTERS/Yasser Bakhsh
A general view of the Grand Mosque is pictured as the first group of Muslims, allowed in the mosque compound by appointment, practice social distancing, to perform Umrah, after Saudi authorities ease coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions, in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, October 3, 2020. REUTERS/Yasser Bakhsh  - Sputnik International
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No casualties were reported after the incident at the Grand Mosque, which is still limiting the number of pilgrims visiting it daily due to coronavirus restrictions.

A video of a car ramming several barriers and eventually crashing through the southern gates of the Masjid al-Haram, also known as the Grand Mosque of Mecca, has emerged on social media. The footage shows a white car driven by an unknown perpetrator being chased by several people, presumably personnel from the mosque.

After ramming through the gates, the driver appears to manage to exit the car and tries to enter the mosque, built around one of the holiest sites in all of Islam, the Kaaba, but it is unclear if he was successful. There have been no reports of casualties as a result of the ramming, which happened when the number of visitors to the Masjid al-Haram is being limited due to the COVID pandemic.

A handout picture provided by Saudi Ministry of Media on July 31, 2020 shows pilgrims circumambulating around the Kaaba, the holiest shrine in the Grand mosque in the holy Saudi  city of Mecca. - Sputnik International
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The man was eventually apprehended and referred to the public prosecutor to face charges over his actions. Authorities in Mecca did not mention the perpetrator's name or motives, but noted that he had possibly been in an "abnormal condition" at the time of the incident.

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