Dubai Police to hold mock drill today, no photos allowed

Dubai Police will be conducting a mock drill today, May 23, at 10pm, the authority said in an advisory.
While the drill is being held, residents have been advised to refrain from taking photographs. They have also been asked to ensure that paths are clear to allow patrol units and other vehicles to pass.

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The National

2 hours ago

• The National

Crater in the church and burnt bodies: survivors' harrowing testimonies of Damascus terrorist attack

The interior of Mar Elias Church in Dweila, a poor Christian neighbourhood of Damascus, lies in ruins. Religious icons have been knocked to the ground, a mix of blood and ash covers the floor, and prayer benches are shattered. At the entrance, a small but deep crater marks the site of a powerful explosion. Moments earlier, about 6.40pm, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest during Sunday Mass, after opening fire on worshippers gathered outside in the first major terrorist attack since the removal of Bashar Al Assad in December. The terrorist attack killed at least 20 people and wounded 52. Blood is everywhere, on the walls, on survivors' shirts, pooled on the ground, seeping down the steps leading to the church. Even the air is thick with its overwhelming smell. Chaos and panic gripped the area for hours after the attack, as ambulances rushed to the scene and civil defence teams searched for human remains inside the church. We brought five people to the hospital. They were burnt, completely burnt. The explosion was strong. It opened a crater in the church Nicolas Tadros, church bombing survivor Doctors at Mujtahed Hospital, Damascus's largest medical centre, told The National that ambulances brought in two bags of unidentified remains. Witnesses told The National at the scene of the blast that at least one suicide bomber opened fire outside the church before detonating an explosive vest inside, and that there was a second gunman who did not blow himself up. 'One of them ran away, the other didn't. There were two gunmen,' Nicolas Tadros, a survivor, said a few moments after the attack at the scene. 'We brought five people to the hospital. They were burnt, completely burnt. The explosion was strong. It opened a crater in the church. The explosion … it wasn't normal. But may God be with us,' he added. Malatios Shtayeh, a priest who was at the Mass, said he first heard gunfire outside the church and had a different version of events. 'After the gunfire outside stopped, we started hearing gunfire inside the church about two minutes later,' he told The National. 'Then two people entered with explosive vests strapped to their chests, and blew themselves up.' Death toll rises The Ministry of Health told state media that at least 20 people were killed and 52 wounded in an updated toll. 'A suicide bomber affiliated with the terrorist group ISIS entered Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighbourhood of the capital, Damascus, where he opened fire before detonating himself with an explosive vest,' state media reported. There was swift condemnation from outside Syria. The UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs offered condolences and expressed 'strong condemnation of these criminal acts', state news agency Wam reported. The UN's special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, expressed outrage at what he called a 'heinous crime'. Tom Barrack, a Syria envoy for US President Donald Trump, said 'these terrible acts of cowardice have no place in the new tapestry of integrated tolerance and inclusion that Syrians are weaving. The attack was the first of its kind in Syria in years and comes as Damascus is trying to win the support of minorities. As President Ahmad Al Shara tries to exert authority, his government has been carrying out anti-ISIS raids throughout the country since taking power. Still, many among minority groups have expressed distrust towards the new Syrian government, led by former members of the Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, due to its extremist roots. In a country fractured by 14 years of civil war and haunted by simmering sectarian tension, the church attack has ignited fear and anger in the Christian community. 'Our state didn't protect us' 'We've never been used to asking for protection from anyone. We've always lived under the protection of God. But we are citizens of this country, and it is the duty of the state to protect us. This is not a privilege the state grants us: it is its responsibility,' Father Shtayeh said. 'But unfortunately, in the face of these so-called individual acts, our state didn't protect us. It didn't protect our country,' he added. The anger was further fuelled as some suggestions at the scene that the attack may have been carried out by remnants of the Assad regime, who launched an insurgency in March. Damascus Governor Maher Marwan, speaking at the site of the blast, denounced 'remnants of the regime' and their 'destructive hand in the region'. 'It's an attack against Christian," said Bassem, an employee at the church. "You see it with your own eyes, it's an suicide attack, it's clear. Since the beginning we were afraid that this might happen." Many say they no longer feel safe. But they cannot afford to go anywhere else. Dweila is a marginalised neighbourhood in Damascus. 'I was born here in Dweila, I will never feel safe again, but where could I go?' asked Hanna Naqoula, waiting at the hospital for his 15-year-old son who was badly injured in the attack.

Zawya

4 hours ago

• Zawya

Saudi Arabia deports 7,238 illegal residents in a week

RIYADH — A total of 12,066 illegal residents were arrested in Saudi Arabia in a week. The arrests were made during the inspections, carried out by the security forces in collaboration with the relevant government agencies, during the period between June 12 and June 18, the Ministry of Interior announced on Saturday. Those who were arrested include 7,333 violators of the Residency Law, 3,060 violators of the Border Security Law, and 1,673 violators of the Labor Law. The ministry said that a total of 7,238 illegal residents were deported while 6,244 violators were referred to their diplomatic missions to obtain travel documents and 2,209 violators were referred to complete their travel reservations. The total number of people who were arrested while trying to cross the border into the Kingdom accounted for 1,206, of whom 32 percent were Yemeni nationals, 65 percent Ethiopian nationals, and three percent belonged to other nationalities. Some 21 people, involved in giving transportation, shelter, and employment for violators, were also arrested. A total of 13,238 illegal residents, including 12,015 men and 1,223 women, are currently undergoing various phases of legal procedures as part of punitive measures against them. The Ministry of Interior has warned that any person, who facilitates the illegal entry of individuals into the Kingdom, transports them on its territory, provides them with shelter or any other assistance or service may be penalized with up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to SR1 million. It noted that the vehicles used for transportation or houses used for giving shelter will be confiscated. The ministry urged the public to report any cases of violation by calling the number 911 in the regions of Makkah, Riyadh, and the Eastern Province and the numbers 999 and 996 in the rest of the Kingdom's regions. © Copyright 2022 The Saudi Gazette. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (

Khaleej Times

13 hours ago

• Khaleej Times

UAE strongly condemns terrorist bombing of church in Damascus

The UAE has strongly condemned the terrorist bombing at Mar Elias Church near Damascus, which resulted in a number of deaths and injuries to innocent people. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) stressed that the UAE expresses its strong condemnation of these criminal acts and its permanent rejection of all forms of violence and terrorism aimed at undermining security and stability. The Ministry expressed its sincere condolences and sympathy with the families of the victims, and with the government and people of Syria over this terrorist crime, as well as its wishes for a speedy recovery for all the injured.