US embassy in Syria warns of increased risk of attacks on Eid

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
29 Mar 2025 11:30

The US embassy in Syria warns citizens of an "increased possibility" of attacks during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, targeting embassies, international organizations, and public institutions in Damascus.

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Lights illuminate a few windows of a damaged building in Damascus, Syria, early on March 27, 2025. (AP)

The US embassy in Syria has alerted its citizens about an "increased possibility" of attacks during the upcoming holiday marking the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

A statement posted on the embassy website late on Friday said, "The US Department of State cautions US citizens of the increased possibility of attacks during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which could target embassies, international organizations, and Syrian public institutions in Damascus."

It added: "Methods of attack could include... individual attackers, armed gunmen, or the use of explosive devices."

Security in Syria remains unstable after various armed groups led by the HTS toppled former leader Bashar al-Assad in December.

Washington warns its citizens against traveling to Syria "due to the significant risks of terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, hostage-taking, armed conflict, and unjust detention," as stated in the advisory.

The embassy has suspended its operations since 2012.

This comes after a series of assassinations spanning across Syria. Last week, 72 people were killed across Syria in only 24 hours in a series of bloody assassinations targeting both civilians and military personnel, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

The Observatory stated that 58 of the victims were killed in the countrysides of Tartus and Latakia, noting that the assassinations in these areas were carried out by armed groups affiliated with the General Security and Syrian military factions.

The remaining killings took place across the provinces of Aleppo, Daraa, Deir Ezzor, Damascus, and Homs, although no further details were provided on the perpetrators in these areas.

These developments come amid a growing sense of lawlessness in areas under the Syrian government's control, with accusations directed at security agencies and pro-government militants for being behind the ongoing wave of assassinations.

Earlier, the observatory revealed that it had obtained four video clips documenting field executions of unarmed young men from the minority Alawite sect carried out by security personnel in the village of Shir in the Latakia countryside on March 7.