The Chinese embassy in Syria urged its citizens to leave the Middle Eastern nation “as soon as possible” as the country’s decade-long civil war reignited and anti-government militants captured more cities.
“At present, the war in northwestern Syria is growing tense, and the security situation in Syria is further deteriorating,” the embassy said in a statement on Thursday.
“The embassy in Syria suggests that Chinese citizens in Syria take advantage of the fact that commercial flights are still in operation to return home or leave the country as soon as possible.”
It warned that if Chinese citizens “persist in” travelling or remaining in the area, they could face “extremely high” security risks and access to help might be affected.
The Chinese embassy in Syria regularly issues travel warnings to its citizens. However, the message was the first in at least two years advising an immediate evacuation.
The warning came as anti-government militants, led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, moved south after taking control of Aleppo – the country’s second-largest city – last week after days of intense crossfire.
The rebels announced they also took control of Hama, a city on the Damascus-Aleppo highway, on Thursday.
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