The Al-Omrah branch municipality on Wednesday said its staff, which went to the area to resolve the illegal encroachments, were chased by citizens in cars who also threw stones at them.

Hassan Khankar, head of Al-Omrah municipality, said more than 50 plots of land had been reclaimed.

He said the plots had large courtyards in which electricity meters were installed to deceive municipal staff into thinking that they legally belonged to the encroachers.

Khankar explained that the reclaimed plots were in the Al-Shumaisi area near the entrance to Makkah, within the confines of the fourth ring road project.

He said the municipality would deploy more staff to work during the Eid holidays to put an end to encroachments on government land.

The chairman of the municipality said government land that needed to be reclaimed included a large plot between the Haramain Expressway and old Jeddah-Makkah Road.