Hajj season ends... and thousands leave Mecca

Thousands of pilgrims have begun leaving the holy city of Mecca after completing the Hajj rituals amid intense heat and rising regional tensions.

This year, more than 1.7 million pilgrims from 165 countries took part in the Hajj season, one of the five pillars of Islam and one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, despite the atmosphere of war hanging over the Middle East.