WHO experts to probe Saudi MERS outbreak

April 17, 2014

Riyadh/Jeddah, Apr 17: Experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) will arrive in the Kingdom on April 28 to investigate the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus outbreak in the country.
This comes after the National Scientific Committee for Infectious Diseases (NSCID) held a teleconference with WHO officials in Geneva and Cairo on Tuesday, according to an official from the Ministry of Health.
MERS has killed 71 people and infected 205 since September 2012. There have been 37 infections at Jeddah hospitals recently. Around 2,500 blood samples were tested for the virus in the western province, the official said.
Meanwhile, addressing a meeting on Wednesday in Jeddah, Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah said that the NSCID has organized field visits in Jeddah to get first-hand information about the virus. “Hundreds of samples are being tested throughout the Kingdom from suspected cases,” the minister said.
He was speaking at the fifth consultative meeting of senior health officials, the ministry's key strategy meeting.
Al-Rabeeah said compensation is under consideration for all medical workers treating people with infectious diseases. “These officials are doing an excellent service for the sake of the nation,” he said.
The minister said that according to the WHO, there is no cure for coronavirus infections. However, he said the ministry has the situation under control and urged people not to panic or spread rumors about the outbreak.
Al-Rabeeah said the sudden outbreak of the virus in Jeddah was mainly due to the weather changing from winter to spring. The ministry has taken steps at all hospitals in the city to tackle cases of coronavirus and other infections, he said.
Sami Badawood, Jeddah Health Affairs director, told Arab News on Wednesday that face masks do not protect people against the coronavirus.
“While it is true that wearing a face mask can, to some extent, prevent the spread of influenza and other communicable diseases, and protect lungs from dust during sandstorms, masks cannot stop the spread of the coronavirus,” Badawood said.
“However, the coronavirus is also not considered a communicable disease,” he said. “Patients can only become infected after direct contact with an infected patient.”
“The Health Ministry in Jeddah adheres to international standards and World Health Organization norms to treat cases,” he said. “The ministry has established a special unit to follow up on cases around the clock. Officials have ascertained that the situation is completely normal after careful observation and extensive follow-ups.”
“Umrah pilgrims need not panic since there have been no cases reported from being in large crowds,” said Badawood. “In fact, there has not been a single case among pilgrims in Makkah so far.”
Health Minister Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, Makkah Gov. Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah and Jeddah Gov. Prince Mishaal bin Majid are closely following up on the situation, and the ministry is using state-of-the-art technology to analyze samples collected from patients suspected to be infected with the virus,” he said.
He said people on social media have blown the outbreak "out of proportion." "The ministry has also not found that any of the cases can be traced to camels.”

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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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