1979 : When Juhayman al-Otaybi led the Grand Mosque seizure of the Masjid al Haram in Mecca

In 1979, Masjid al-Haram was seized by a group of 500 men under the leadership of Juhayman al-Otaybi, protesting against the Saudi monarchy. Islam’s holiest site was under siege for two weeks before Saudi Special Forces broke into the Mosque with the help of France and Pakistan.

Saudi Arabia : A terrorist attack thwarted in Mecca