Washington: The US State Department has issued a security alert to urge US citizens to depart Syria.
“The security situation in Syria continues to be volatile and unpredictable with active clashes between armed groups throughout the country. The Department of State urges U.S. citizens to depart Syria now while commercial options remain available in Damascus,” the US Embassy in Syria said in a statement.
It said the US Embassy in Damascus had suspended its operations in 2012, adding that the US government is unable to provide consular services to US citizens in Syria.
“The Czech Republic serves as the protecting power for U.S. interests in Syria,” the statement said.
The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorist group (formerly known as the Nusra Front, banned in Russia) and a number of other armed groups launched a large-scale operation against the Syrian government on November 29, advancing from the north of the northwestern region of Idlib towards the cities of Aleppo and Hama. A day later, Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city, came under the complete control of the militants for the first time since the beginning of the conflict in the country in 2011.
On December 5, the Syrian Defence Ministry said that the Syrian armed forces withdrew from the city of Hama after fierce battles with militants.
