Govt take steps to protect Hajis from Mina floods

September 15, 2013

Jeddah, Sep 15: In a major initiative to prevent floods and loss of life during Haj, a Saudi Geological Survey (SGS) team has urged the authorities to ensure all rainwater drainage systems are in good working order and not blocked by pilgrims and Haj operators in Mina.

The team presented an action plan on flood safety recently to Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, who is also chairman of the Central Haj Committee.

The SGS said a downpour in Mina could send water from the surrounding mountains into the valley causing flash floods that could threaten the safety of millions of pilgrims, who spend four to five days in the valley during the peak days of Haj.

The SGS asked the Ministry of Haj not to allow Tawafa organizations and Haj service companies to obstruct storm water drains and canals in Mina.

A ministry official, meanwhile, said it had informed all Haj service providers that they should not do anything that might obstruct the flow of water in the valley. “Anyone who tampers with the rainwater drainage networks will be punished,” the official said.

The emergency plan for Haj approved by the Ministry of Interior clearly marks all the locations and plots at the holy sites vulnerable to flash floods.

In November 2009, an unprecedented downpour wreaked havoc in Jeddah killing more than 100 people. Civil Defense teams have taken precautions to deal with floods during Haj, including keeping ready rubber boats and diving teams.

Osama Felali, chairman of the National Haj and Umrah Committee, said the tent space allocated for VIP pilgrims at the holy sites has been reduced considerably, amounting to just over 1 percent of the total space.

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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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