Muslims begin hajj rites near Mecca
From Times Wire Reports
Two million Muslims began streaming out of Mecca in cars, vans and on foot at the start of their hajj, or pilgrimage. The white-robed pilgrims poured into a tent city in the plain of Mina to begin the five-day ritual, which is required at least once for every Muslim able to make the trip.
With such large crowds, Saudi Arabia normally deploys more than 50,000 security personnel to try to prevent deadly stampedes and attacks by Islamists fighting the U.S.-allied government.
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