Specially trained security force officers were put through their paces in Makkah here recently for the Haj season with drills including using live ammunition, hand-to-hand combat and freeing hostages.

Director of the Ministry of Interior's public security department, Maj. Gen. Othman Al-Mihrij, who led the exercises, said he was happy with the preparation, and praised the ministry for its careful Haj planning.

Al-Mihrij said the officers were ready to face any challenges and that 70,000 personnel had been deployed across Makkah and the holy sites.

He said officers had been ordered to crack down on those trying to disturb pilgrims. He said the security forces act as "shields of the nation" and were ready to sacrifice themselves to protect Islam's holiest sites.

Maj. Gen. Khalid bin Qarrar led the final drills including shooting at targets from various angles, driving in vehicles, picking up weapons from the ground and using them, disarming assailants and releasing hostages. Officers also participated in a parade, which included a flyover of special security plane fleets.

Meanwhile, the government has ordered all ministries to cooperate with the Civil Defense to tackle emergencies during Haj.

Col. Saeed Al-Qahtani, director of the Civil Defense's Emergency Operations Center in Makkah, said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency on Friday that all government ministries and agencies would be placed on alert from Sept. 27. They would have to provide quick support services in the event of emergencies.

This includes the ministries of Defense, National Guard, Interior, Municipal and Rural Affairs, Health, Haj, Finance, Education, Commerce and Industry, Water and Electricity, Culture and Information, Economy and Telecommunications. The departments and agencies include public security, Presidency of Meteorology and Environment, and the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, he said.