India urges citizens to leave Syria amid escalating violence
The militants have entered towns close to Homs, Syria’s third largest city, and are moving along a key highway that leads to Damascus
New Delhi: India on Saturday urged about 90 citizens in Syria to leave the country and advised others not to travel to the West Asian country following major gains by militants led by the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
The external affairs ministry asked Indian citizens “to leave by the earliest available commercial flights”. Those who cannot leave should “observe utmost precaution about their safety and restrict their movements to the minimum”, the ministry said in an advisory issued after midnight.
“In view of the situation prevailing in Syria, Indian nationals are advised to avoid all travel to Syria, until further notification,” the advisory added.
Indian nationals currently in Syria should remain in touch with the Indian embassy in Damascus through the emergency helpline number +963 993385973 (also on WhatsApp) and the email ID hoc.damascus@mea.gov.in for updates.
Russia, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has also directed its nationals to leave the country.
Militants advance
On Friday, the militants entered towns close to Homs, Syria’s third largest city, and were moving along a key highway that leads to Damascus. A day earlier, the militants captured Homa city before beginning their advance towards Homs.
Late last month, the militants took control of Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city, amid a rapid retreat by Syrian government forces. This marks the first time that Aleppo and Homs have been under control of forces opposed to Assad since an uprising in 2011.
Syria was once home to a sizeable Indian community but its size has shrunk to 92 because of the dragging civil war, according to the website of the Indian embassy. This includes 14 nationals working for different UN organisations and NGOs.
External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a media briefing on Friday that India is closely following the situation following the recent escalation in fighting in north Syria. “Our embassy is in regular touch with our Indian nationals for their safety and security,” he said.