1987 Mecca incident
Clash between Shia pilgrims and Saudi Arabian security forces / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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On 31 July 1987, during the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, a clash between Shia pilgrim demonstrators and the Saudi Arabian security forces resulted in the death of more than 400 people.[1] The event has been variously described as a "riot" or a "massacre". It developed from increasing tensions between Shia Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia since the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Since 1981, Iranian pilgrims have held a political demonstration against Israel and the United States every year at Hajj,[2][3] but in 1987, a cordon of Saudi police and the Saudi Arabian National Guard sealed part of the planned[4] demonstration route, resulting in a confrontation between them and the pilgrims. This escalated into a violent clash, followed by a deadly stampede.[5][6] [7]
1987 Mecca incident | |||
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Part of Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict | |||
Date | 31 July 1987 (1987-07-31) | ||
Location | Mecca, Saudi Arabia 21°26′7.18″N 39°49′44.68″E | ||
Caused by | Shi'a–Sunni tensions | ||
Parties | |||
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Casualties | |||
Death(s) | Disputed; between 400 - 402 | ||
Injuries | Disputed; estimated 649 - 2,000 |
How many pilgrims died and how they died are both disputed. Both Iran and Saudi Arabia blame each other for the loss of life.[8] Estimates of fatalities range from 400 with thousands more injured (Iranian government);[9] 402, of which 275 were Iranian pilgrims, 85 Saudi police, and 42 pilgrims from other countries (Saudi government);[8] and more than 400 dead (New York Times).[3] Saudis claim the pilgrims were armed and died in a stampede.[10] Iranians claim many were killed by Saudi gunfire.[11]
After the incident, Iranians attacked the Saudi, Kuwaiti and French Embassies, abducting four Saudis from the embassy.[3]