US, Canada urge citizens to leave Syria

07-12-2024
Rudaw
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United States and Canada on Saturday called on their citizens to leave Syria as the conflict between rebels and the Syrian army escalates. 

“The security situation continues to be volatile and unpredictable with active clashes between armed groups throughout the country.  The Department urges U.S. citizens to depart Syria now while commercial options remain available,” said the State Department in a security alert early Saturday.

It also advised their citizens who choose to remain in the war-torn country or cannot depart to “prepare contingency plans for emergency situations and be prepared to shelter in place for extended periods.“

The Canadian government also told its citizens in Syria that they “should leave now if it’s safe to do so.” 

Syria’s civil war was dramatically reignited last week when a coalition of rebels led by the Islamist Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched a blistering offensive against the Syrian army. They quickly took control of the northern city of Aleppo, the most populated urban center in the country, and then advanced into the strategic central province of Hama, capturing the city on Thursday when the Syrian army announced its withdrawal.

Bashar al-Assad’s regime also lost control of Daraa city on the Jordanian border following an overnight operation by the rebels. 

Hours earlier, Jordan called on its citizens to leave Syria “as soon as possible.”

Damascus has yet to confirm the withdrawal from Daraa.

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