US embassy in Syria tells Americans to leave, warns of 'potential imminent attacks'
The US embassy in Damascus has issued an urgent advisory, calling on all American citizens to leave Syria immediately due to an increased risk of attacks during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
In a statement posted on its official website late on Friday, the diplomatic mission warned that the US State Department had raised the travel advisory for Syria to Level 4 – its highest alert, meaning Americans are advised not to travel to the Arab nation for any reason.
The embassy cautioned citizens of potential attacks targeting “embassies, international organizations and Syrian public institutions” in Damascus.
“Methods of attack could include, but are not limited to, individual attackers, armed gunmen, or the use of explosive devices,” the notice said. “Leave Syria now,” it added.
“This advisory remains in effect due to the significant risks of terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, hostage-taking, armed conflict and unjust detention,” the embassy said in the notice.
The embassy wrote that American diplomatic services in Syria have been suspended since 2012, meaning it cannot provide routine consular assistance to US nationals currently in the country.
The mission also urged American citizens requiring urgent assistance to contact the US Interests Section at the Czech Embassy in Damascus, which serves as the primary liaison for US affairs in Syria.
The security situation in Syria remains tenuous after militant factions, led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, toppled president Bashar al-Assad’s government on December 8, 2024.
Since the collapse of Assad’s government, the Israeli military has been launching airstrikes against military installations, facilities, and arsenals belonging to Syria’s now-defunct army.
Israel has been widely condemned for the termination of the 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria and for exploiting the chaos in the Arab nation in the wake of Assad’s downfall to make a land grab.
The United Nations has condemned ongoing Israeli attacks inside Syrian territory and continuing violations in and around the buffer zone created as part of a 1974 ceasefire agreement with Damascus.
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