Mataf expansion to be ‘completed before Haj’

January 8, 2015

Jeddah, Jan 8: A life size replica1The ongoing expansion of mataf, or circumambulation area around the Kaaba, would be completed before this year’s Haj, said Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, head of the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques, on Wednesday.

Inspecting the Haram expansion project here, he said thousands of pilgrims would be able to use the expanded mataf during the upcoming Haj season. “Most of the work would be completed before Ramadan in preparation for the peak Umrah season,” he said.

Al-Sudais said the third phase of the mataf expansion was progressing well and would increase its capacity to 105,000 pilgrims an hour. There would be no obstacles in the mataf area, which would be expanded and will have modern facilities.

He said officials were doing their best to ensure that pilgrims are provided with excellent services. The completed areas of the Haram expansion project, including the new building, would be opened to worshippers to reduce congestion caused by work on the mataf, he said.

Meanwhile, Al-Sudais condemned the terrorist attack on a Border Guard checkpoint in the northern city of Arar that resulted in the death of three Saudi soldiers including Brig. Audah Al-Balawi, a commander in the Northern Border Region.

He said the attack was against the teachings of Islam, which urge Muslims to protect the lives and honor of others. He commended the role of security forces in defending the Kingdom, its people and holy places.

“This is the treachery of the enemies of Islam who want to make this land of Islam a battleground for them. This is flagrant aggression and a terrorist act,” Al-Sudais said.

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Syrian Town erupts after Israeli forces enter Beit Jinn; heavy casualties reported

News Network

November 28,2025

Several Syrians were killed and more than two dozen others injured in Israeli strikes on the outskirts of Damascus, amid intensified incursions by the occupying regime since the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad and the rise of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rule.

Syrian state TV reported that the casualties occurred during an overnight Israeli assault involving helicopters and drones on the town of Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside. The attack followed an Israeli military unit’s entry into the town, where they were surrounded by local residents, leading to gunfire and direct confrontations.

According to the report, “The occupation army’s helicopters and artillery shelled Beit Jinn, located at the foothills of Mount Hermon, resulting in 13 martyrs and 25 injured civilians.” The broadcaster did not specify the full extent of damage.

Al-Ikhbariyah Syria confirmed that the shelling coincided with Israeli soldiers entering Beit Jinn, while artillery pounded surrounding areas. The broadcaster stated that the escalation began after local residents clashed with an Israeli patrol that had infiltrated the southern town and “kidnapped” three young men.

Following a two-hour exchange of heavy fire, Israeli forces withdrew and repositioned on the hill of Butt al-Warda at the town’s outskirts.

Israeli media acknowledged that six soldiers were wounded in the clashes—three of them seriously—describing the confrontation as a “sudden ambush” that forced the deployment of reserve units and air support to secure an exit route. No further details were provided.

The aggression has fueled renewed displacement from Beit Jinn, with residents fleeing to nearby villages amid increasingly frequent Israeli attacks.

The raid came just a day after Israeli troops carried out another ground incursion into Umm al-Luqas village in Quneitra province. According to SANA, an Israeli unit in four vehicles entered the village, raided several homes, and later withdrew.

Syria condemned the repeated incursions as violations of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and UN resolutions, urging the international community to enforce compliance and pressure Israel to halt its operations and withdraw fully.

Israel has expanded its attacks across Syrian territory following the collapse of the Assad government last year. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly instructed his forces to push deeper into Syrian territory and seize strategic positions.

Meanwhile, critics say the HTS-led interim government’s inaction and growing normalization gestures toward Israel have emboldened Tel Aviv to intensify its military operations. HTS, formerly linked to al-Qaeda, seized control of Damascus last December, formally ending Assad’s rule.

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