Hajj pilgrims symbolically stone the devil in Mina

Muslim pilgrims performed the symbolic stoning of the devil on Friday, one of the final rites of the Islamic hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

This comes as Muslims worldwide marked the start of Eid al-Adha holiday.

Only a very limited number of pilgrims were allowed to take part in the hajj this year amid numerous restrictions to limit the potential spread of the coronavirus.

The sliver of pilgrims performing the hajj this year arrived at the massive multi-story Jamarat Complex in Mina just after dawn on Friday, where they cast pebbles at three large columns.

They are travelling in small groups of 20, following strict guidelines around social distancing.

The stoning rite takes place in the Saudi valley area of Mina, where a crush of crowds and stampede in 2015 killed more than 2,400 people, according to an Associated Press count.

The global coronavirus pandemic has cast a shadow over every aspect of this year's pilgrimage, which last year drew 2.5 million Muslims from across the world.

The Saudi government has not released a final figure on the number of hajj pilgrims this year, but has said anywhere from 1,000 to 10,000 would be taking part.

All of this year's pilgrims are either residents or citizens of Saudi Arabia.

All able-bodied Muslims are required to perform the hajj once in their lives.

(Representative Image)