Indians advised to leave Syria at the earliest as Bashar al-Assad loses control of another city

India has issued an advisory to its citizens, asking them to avoid all travel to Syria until further notice as rebels took control of yet another city in the warn-torn West Asian nation. In a late-night advisory on Friday (Dec 6), the Ministry of External Affairs urged Indians in Syria to leave the country at the earliest.

“In view of the situation prevailing in Syria, Indian nationals are advised to avoid all travel to Syria, until further notification,” the MEA said.

“Indians currently in Syria are requested to remain in touch with the Indian Embassy in Damascus at their emergency helpline number +963 993385973 (also on WhatsApp) and email ID hoc.damascus@mea.gov.in for updates.

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“Those who can, are advised to leave by the earliest available commercial flights and others are requested to observe utmost precaution about their safety and restrict their movements to the minimum,” it added.

What is happening in Syria?

Syria is in the grips of an offensive launched by rebel forces against President Bashar al-Assad's government.

According to the United Nations, nearly 370,000 people have been displaced since November 27.

Also Read:Syrian govt ‘bombs’ key bridge in bid to secure Homs as rebels seize Hama city

The Syrian government forces lost control of Daraa city, as per a war monitor. This comes as another blow for President Bashar al-Assad after rebels took over other key cities.

Aleppo and Hama were the two main cities taken from government control in recent days, falling to an Islamist-led rebel alliance.

Daraa fell to local armed groups, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

"Local factions have taken control of more areas in Daraa province, including Daraa city... they now control more than 90 per cent of the province, as regime forces successively pulled out," the Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources around Syria, said late Friday.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for the protection of civilians and minorities in Syria.

The US also issued an advisory for its citizens, asking them to immediately leave the country "while commercial options remain available".

"The security situation continues to be volatile and unpredictable with active clashes between armed groups throughout the country. The Department urges US citizens to depart Syria now while commercial options remain available," the State Department said in a security alert posted on social media.

Besides India and the US, Pakistan also issued an advisory, asking its citizens to leave.

(With inputs from agencies)