The Indian government has issued an urgent advisory asking its citizens in Syria to leave the country immediately as violence escalates due to a major offensive by the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has also advised against all travel to Syria until further notice.
The advisory, which was released in the early hours of Saturday, asks the Indian nationals to leave by the earliest available commercial flight. However, for those who could not leave, it has recommended maximum precautions while limiting movements and keeping contact with the Indian Embassy in Damascus.
An emergency helpline has been provided by the embassy that can be contacted on WhatsApp at +963 993385973 and through the email address hoc.damascus@mea.gov.in.
According to official estimates, around 90 Indian nationals remain in Syria, including 14 individuals working for United Nations organizations and NGOs. The advisory follows a dramatic escalation in Syria’s civil conflict, with HTS-led militants capturing strategic cities, including Aleppo, Hama, and towns near Homs.
The offensive by militants began last month with the capture of Aleppo, the country’s second-largest city, and intensified with last week’s loss of Hama, a strategic city central to Syria. They now are moving toward Homs, Syria’s third-largest city and a vital conduit to the capital city of Damascus.
Videos surfacing online show massive evacuations as hundreds of residents evacuate Homs overnight, fleeing with the opposition forces advancing southwards. If Homs falls, that would mean the complete erosion of President Bashar al-Assad’s hold on the region and represent a turning point in nearly 14 years of war.
India’s advisory comes at a time when Russia, another strong ally of the Assad government, also asked its nationals to leave Syria in view of the deteriorating crisis. The MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India is closely monitoring the situation. “Our embassy is in regular contact with Indian nationals to ensure their safety and security,” he stated.
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