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All Indian nationals in Syria safe after opposition seizes Damascus: Officials
The Indian embassy in Damascus continues to remain operational in and is in touch with all Indian nationals
New Delhi: All Indian nationals in Syria are safe, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday after opposition fighters overthrew the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and took control of the capital Damascus.
The Indian embassy in Damascus continues to remain operational in and is in touch with all Indian nationals, who are safe, the people said on condition of anonymity.
“The embassy remains available to assist Indian nationals in Syria,” one of the people cited above said.
On Saturday, India had 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 had asked Indian citizens who cannot leave Syria to “observe utmost precaution about their safety and restrict their movements to the minimum”.
The militants entered towns close to Homs, Syria’s third largest city, on Friday and began moving along a key highway towards Damascus. A day earlier, the militants captured Homa city before beginning their advance towards Homs.
The militants captured Damascus after a lightning campaign that lasted just 11 days, ending Assad’s 24-year rule. Assad stepped down and fled Syria, though his whereabouts were unknown.
Syria was once home to a sizeable Indian community but its size 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.
