A video clip showing a man being detained by security officials at Saudi Arabia's Grand Mosque during the month of Ramadan sparked fears after rumours spread that he had attempted to blow himself up.
However, Saudi officials have dismissed the rumours, stating that the man was being questioned on charges of theft and that he was not a suicide bomber.
According to the Saudi Gazette, the video clip went viral on social media in Saudi Arabia based on the rumour that the man was a suicide bomber. The man is reportedly seen being confronted by security officials for his 'suspicious movements' and reports of thefts, which were later found to be untrue, the newspaper reported.
However, as the man was trying to free himself from the security officials at the Grand Mosque, some people began to film the incident and uploaded the video online, which soon went viral with the false rumour that he was being stopped from blowing himself up.
Security officials, however, put an end to the hoax by calling the reports 'baseless and unsubstantiated' and urged citizens not to circulate such material, according to the Saudi Gazette.
The video could have sparked fears at a time when Saudi Arabia revealed that it had thwarted several Isis suicide attacks at mosques across the kingdom in the last few weeks.
Saudi Arabia has arrested more than 400 suspected Isis militants in the last few weeks, including those it has accused of being involved in the suicide bombings at two Shia mosques in al-Qadeeh and Dammam, that claimed several lives.
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks.
