'Leave the earliest': Here is why India has asked citizens to avoid travelling to Syria
The Ministry of External Affairs has issued an advisory to Indian citizens to avoid all travel to Syria until further notice and has also asked any Indian nationals currently in the country to leave at the earliest.
MEA issues advisory for Syria?
¡°In view of the situation prevailing in Syria, Indian nationals are advised to avoid all travel to Syria until further notification,¡± the MEA said in an advisory issued on Friday night.
¡°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,¡± it said.
¡°Those who can are advised to leave by the earliest available commercial flights, and others are requested to observe the utmost precaution regarding their safety and restrict their movements to the minimum,¡± the MEA said further.
What is happening in Syria
According to the Embassy of India, as of September 2024, there are 92 Indian nationals in Syria, including 14 who are working in various UN organisations and NGOs in Syria.
The advisory follows the rapid deterioration of the safety situation in Syria due to a surprise uprising by rebel forces fighting the Bashar al-Assad government since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011.
Syrian rebels marching to Damascus?
Turkey-backed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, one of the several jihadist groups that have been fighting to overthrow the al-Assad government in Damascus for nearly one and a half decades, made rapid gains since November 27, capturing Aleppo and Hama within a week.
The relative ease with which Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city, fell to the rebels took everyone, including the backers of al-Assad, by surprise, and there is growing concern that it is only a matter of time before they reach the capital, Damascus.
Ever since the civil war, Syria has been governed in fragments, with pro-Assad forces controlling the majority of the country, while the remainder has been administered by pro-Kurdish militias or jihadist groups, including ISIS.
What is behind the sudden rebel surge?
Assad, who managed to cling on to power despite the popular uprising, did so due to support from Iran and Russia, who sent troops there. However, as both Russia and Iran are now preoccupied with their own wars, Assad has lost significant firepower, giving the rebels a window of opportunity after nearly five years of stalemate.
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