India urges citizens in Syria to ‘leave at the earliest’ as rebels advance

India on Friday urged its citizens to avoid all travel to Syria, citing the escalating violence following a major offensive by rebel forces.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a travel advisory, stating, “In view of the situation prevailing in Syria, Indian nationals are advised to avoid all travel to Syria, until further notification.” “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,” the MEA added.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said there are around 90 Indian nationals in Syria, including 14 working in various UN organisations, reported news agency ANI.

“We have taken note of the recent escalation in fighting in the north of Syria. We are closely following the situation… Our mission remains in close contact with our nationals for their safety and security,” Jaiswal said in a press briefing on Friday.

For Indians currently in Syria, the MEA advised maintaining close contact with the Indian Embassy in Damascus. The embassy can be reached via its emergency helpline at +963 993385973, also available on WhatsApp, and email at hoc.damascus@mea.gov.in for updates.

The warning comes as insurgents, led by the jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), launched a major offensive, capturing several key cities, including Aleppo, Syria’s largest. The offensive has broken a long-standing stalemate in the nearly 14-year-long Syrian civil war.

The insurgents reportedly aim to push towards Homs and ultimately Damascus, the seat of President Bashar al-Assad’s government. On Thursday, rebel forces advanced deeper into Syrian territory, capturing the central city of Hama, the country’s fourth-largest city.

The victory in Hama marked a strategic milestone for the insurgents, who have now set their sights on Homs, a crucial crossroads city. If taken, Homs would effectively sever territories under the control of Assad, further weakening his grip on power.

Videos circulating online showed hundreds of residents fleeing Homs overnight, as anti-regime rebels pushed southward along the road to the capital, Damascus.