At least 5,000 Saudi police and soldiers have been deployed in Islam’s holy city of Mecca to protect an estimated 2.5 million pilgrims during the last two weeks of Ramadan, a security source said. The decision to deploy the men was reached after security forces smashed a suspected al-Qaeda cell last week and announced the suspects had been preparing an attack on the faithful in Mecca. “In total there will be no fewer than 5,000 soldiers and police reinforcements in the Mecca region,” added the source who refused to be named. More reinforcements would also be deployed in Medina, the second holiest site in Islam. Suspected Al-Qaeda suicide bombers blew up a housing compound in Riyadh on Saturday night killing 17 people and wounding some 120. Full Story
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