U.S. government urges American citizens to defer travel to Syria, orders some personnel to leave

[News_Editor]

U.S. government urges American citizens to defer travel to Syria, orders some personnel to leave

2011-04-26 18:48:27 GMT+7 (ICT)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- The U.S. government on Tuesday urged American citizens to defer all travel to Syria and ordered some non-emergency personnel to depart Syria.

The order comes as violence by Syrian security forces against anti-government protesters and civilians in general has escalated in recent days, including a killing spree on Friday which left nearly 100 people dead in 14 separate towns. It sparked worldwide condemnation.

"The U.S. Department of State urges U.S. citizens to defer all travel to Syria at this time," the U.S. State Department said in a travel warning. "U.S. citizens in Syria are advised to depart while commercial transportation is readily available."

The U.S. State Department said it has ordered all eligible family members of U.S. government employees as well as certain non-emergency personnel to depart Syria. "Embassy operations will continue to the extent possible under the constraints of an evolving security situation," it said. "Full consular passport and visa services continue to be provided."

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