Saudi forces’ morale high

May 7, 2015

Jeddah, May 7: Five men including an officer were killed and 12 injured by mortar shells launched from the Yemeni side of the border on Wednesday, the Civil Defense announced.

Captain of a jail patrol Cpl. Hyyan Al-Wadie was killed when a shell hit him in King Salman Street at 1:30 p.m., said a spokesman of the Civil Defense in Najran. His companion was wounded and rushed to a nearby hospital.

The other fatalities were two passengers in a civilian car, a worker in a tire shop, and a person walking in the street. Eleven other people who were injured were taken to a local hospital, the spokesman said.

The attacks followed mortar fire late on Tuesday night on Jazan that saw a man and his wife killed and their relative severely injured in the border village of Al-Bahteet.

Maj. Yahya Abdullah Al-Qahtani, spokesman of the Civil Defense in Jazan, said reaction teams received a report at 11:45 p.m. indicating a housing complex in Al-Bahteet village was hit. He confirmed that two people had been killed and a third seriously injured.

He said two other people at the site with breathing problems and minor injuries were taken to a hospital for treatment. Al-Qahtani said a committee at the headquarters of the Civil Defense in Jazan has been tasked with monitoring the situation and taking steps to protect citizens.

Meanwhile, according to reports, mortar shells and Katyusha missiles launched by the Houthis damaged several schools, homes, shopping centers, cars and a field hospital in Najran on Tuesday.

Three students from a school in Al-Mokhayam district were injured in the attacks but all are in a stable condition. One student had to undergo surgery to remove shrapnel from her back.

Despite the damage, residents said they are confident that the Saudi Army, whose morale is high, would protect them against these attacks. Many said the Houthis were “desperate” because their camps and weapon stores had been destroyed by the coalition forces.

Brig. Gen. Ali bin Mohammed Al-Omari, head of the Civil Defense in Najran, said the city was safe and no evacuation of villages and neighborhoods was necessary at this stage.

Meanwhile, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior, launched a joint exercise of special security forces. During the exercise in Dhurma, 74 km northwest of Riyadh, the forces displayed their tactical fighting skills. Anti-terrorism forces and emergency security forces also took part in the exercise, which reflects the Kingdom’s preparedness to counter enemy attacks.

Also on Wednesday, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, second deputy premier and minister of defense, visited the Air Force Operation Center in Riyadh to monitor progress of airstrikes carried out by the Saudi-led alliance during the past 24 hours. He also discussed with air force commanders the operation plan for the next 24 hours and logistical support required for the campaign.

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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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