New Delhi, Dec 6 (UNI) As the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) captured a second major city in Syria in a setback to the Assad regime, India said on Friday that it is closely watching the situation, and its embassy is in close touch with the around 90 Indians there.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, answering a question on the situation in Syria, said:
“We have taken note of the recent escalation in fighting in the north of Syria. We are closely following the situation.
“There are about 90 Indian nationals in Syria, including 14 who are working in various UN organizations. Our Mission remains in close contact with our nationals for their safety and security.”
His comments come as the HTS militants captured the city of Hama on Thursday, days after taking control of Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city.
The leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani, declared "victory" in Hama.
Earlier, HTS militants and their allies took over Hama central prison and released inmates amid fierce battles, while the military said it had redeployed troops outside the city.
Meanwhile, thousands of people have begun fleeing the city of Homs as the HTS militants began moving further south towards Damascus.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on Friday that thousands of Homs residents started fleeing overnight towards the western coast, where embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad still maintains control.
UNI RN