U.S. urges citizens to evacuate Syria amid rebel advances
On Friday, the United States recommended that its citizens leave Syrian territory immediately. This advisory is due to the swift advances made by Islamist rebels against the forces of Bashar al-Assad's regime. The rebels have already taken control over several significant cities in the country.
"The Department of State urges U.S. citizens to depart Syria now while commercial options remain available in Damascus," American authorities stated in an announcement published on social media.
The rebels don't stop
Islamist rebels from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) organization and their allies launched an offensive against Bashar al-Assad's regime on November 27. In a swift campaign, they have already captured, among others, the country's second-largest city, Aleppo, and Hama, which has a population of about 500,000, as well as taken control of the city of Daraa.
The current fighting is the most serious conflict in Syria since 2020, when the front line was frozen in the civil war ongoing since 2011. Assad's regime managed to regain control over most of the country's territory, largely with support from Russia and Iran. It is estimated that at least 500,000 people have died in the conflict. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), over 700 people have died in the ongoing fighting over the past week, including over 100 civilians. The UN reported 370,000 refugees.
