4.8 million pilgrims perform Umrah

July 11, 2013

Jeddah, Jul 11: A total of 4.8 million pilgrims performed Umrah up until Tuesday, the last day of Shabaan, according to a senior government official.

Hatem Al-Qadi, deputy minister of Haj and spokesman for the ministry, said 4.5 million pilgrims have already left the Kingdom. “We now have only 300,000 people who have not left so far.”

He said the recent extension of applications for Umrah until Ramadan 10 (July 19) would not cause overcrowding.

“We are taking into account the huge expansion project of the tawaf area at the Grand Mosque, which is currently under way. Umrah companies still have time to obtain visas, provided pilgrims in the country leave before new ones arrive.”

He said that the decision to extend the deadline for Umrah visas was welcomed by Umrah companies.

“This expansion project of the two holy mosques is the largest ever. Experts say that the mosque can accommodate a maximum number of 500,000 people each night,” he said.

Al-Qadi said the ministry was conducting inspection campaigns to ensure Umrah companies provide the services they promise pilgrims.

“Of special importance in this regard is that they should provide accommodation, adequate food and adequate transportation to and from the holy places.”

“Sometimes the minister of Haj also participates in the inspections to ensure that everything is alright. He is accompanied on these visits by Issa Rawwas, deputy minister for Umrah affairs,” he said.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

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.

Comments