Saudi soldiers dive through windows in military display

Hundreds of Saudi troops and police put on elaborate military parade in Mecca
It comes days ahead of the beginning of the Hajj – when millions come to the city
Part of the show included a soldier doing a backflip off an exploding barrel
In June police in the country said they foiled a plot to seize city’s Grand Mosque

By Iain Burns For Mailonline

Published: 19:25 BST, 24 August 2017 | Updated: 19:29 BST, 24 August 2017

The Saudi security forces have put on a bizarre and elaborate parade showing their troops doing backflips off exploding barrels, smashing head first into a car window and kicking criminals in the chest.

Performed just ahead of the arrival of around 2 million Muslims in Mecca for the Hajj – or pilgrimage – the show of agility and tactics is meant to reassure visitors who might be on edge.

In June, police in the country said they had foiled a terror plot to hit the Grand Mosque in the city – the holiest in Islam – after exchanging gunfire with suspects before one blew himself up.

One of the soldiers jumped head-first into the back of car window in a demonstration meant to show the agility and bravery of Saudi’s security forces

Hundreds of soldiers jogged slowly along a track with their heads fixed loyally on a member of the Saudi royal family

A foe is shown firing an RPG in one of the choreographed displays

One of the particularly agile soldiers manages to do a backflip off an exploding barrel

The mosque was seized in 1979 by extremists who wanted to see the overthrow of the ruling House of Saud before soldiers restored order.

In the peculiar video, hundreds of troops can be seen jogging slowly with their rifles while looking loyally to representatives of the royal family.

Cars are then brought out and, in a piece of choreographed action, a battered-looking vehicle begins to drive away after a soldier pulls desperately on one of its doors.

Loyalty: Members of the Saudi royal family look on as troops offer displays of fealty

A policeman stands on the side of an armoured car as the Saudi government shows off its security forces

Lethal and loyal: Some soldiers salute while others point their rifles

Soldiers hang from helicopters with coloured smoke flowing behind them

It speeds off but two police cars with sirens quickly block it off – before a soldiers sprints along the road and dives head-first into the back window of the car.

A fight then breaks out, during which one soldier jumps on another’s back to deliver a two-footed kick to the chest to one of the balaclava-wearing foes.

One of the soldiers then does a backflip off an exploding barrel during a mock raid of a home defended by an RPG-wielding enemy.

Hajj begins on August 30 – next Wednesday – and ends on September 4.