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Opposition military factions approach Damascus
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Escalating Military Advances of Armed Factions in Central and Southern Syria

As armed factions prepare to advance toward the center of the city of Homs in central Syria, following their success in seizing several towns in the countryside of the province and on the outskirts of the city, these factions have made significant gains in southern Syria.
Local media sources reported today, Saturday, that the Syrian army has completely withdrawn from Quneitra province and the Mount Sheikh area. The sources added that the armed factions managed to control vast areas of rural Damascus following the army's withdrawal.
A Syrian military source confirmed that the factions have taken control of the Quneitra region in the Syrian Golan, near the border with Israel, according to statements reported by Reuters.
In the same context, local armed factions have managed to seize more towns in the southern province of Daraa, including the city of Sahnaya, which is located about 20 kilometers from the capital, Damascus. Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, stated that "local fighters have succeeded in capturing the city of Sahnaya after the withdrawal of the regular forces from it."
For his part, Hassan Abdul Ghani, one of the military leaders of the factions launching a separate offensive in central Syria, announced that "our forces have entered the city of Sahnaya," noting that "this puts us less than 20 kilometers from the southern gate of the capital, Damascus," indicating coordination between the attacks.
Meanwhile, explosions were heard in rural Damascus, where official sources reported that they resulted from strikes on the militants' positions. The Syrian army had earlier announced that it had redeployed outside the city of Daraa after its positions were attacked by militants.
In a related development, Israel has prepared to bolster its military presence in the Golan Heights, occupied since 1967, sending additional reinforcements in anticipation of any developments that may arise from the situation along the Syrian border.
Since last week, armed factions launched a surprise offensive from Idlib province towards Aleppo, managing to seize it entirely, before entering the city of Hama and northern areas of Homs, with plans to also capture the heart of the city.
The local factions have also taken control of Daraa province, including the Nasib border crossing, prompting Jordan to close its border. Additionally, the local armed factions seized the city of Suwayda, entering police headquarters and other military sites belonging to the Syrian army, which announced its withdrawal from the city as part of a redeployment and repositioning of its forces.
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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
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Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
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