India on Friday issued an advisory asking all its citizens to refrain from traveling to Syria in the wake of violence and unrest in the Middle Eastern country.
"In view of the situation prevailing in Syria, Indian nationals are advised to avoid all travel to Syria, until further notification," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in its advisory.
The Ministry also asked the Indian stranded nationals to leave at the earliest available commercial flights.
It further added that it has issued an emergency helpline number and email ID for Indians nationals to contact the Indian Embassy in Damascus.
"Indians currently in Syria are requested to remain in touch with the Indian Embassy in Damascus at their emergency helpline number +963 993385973," the MEA said.
Earlier, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India has taken note of the situation in Syria and South Korea and the Indian missions in both nations are keeping a close eye on the situation, bearing in mind the safety of Indian nationals there.
Around 90 Indian nationals, including 14 working for UN organizations, are still in Syria.
Jaiswal has assured that the Indian mission is in touch with the citizens of India who are residing in Syria to keep them safe.
"We are keeping a close eye on the situation. Our mission stays in close contact with nationals for their safety and security," said Jaiswal.
The renewed outbreak of violence by Syrian rebels has rekindled the civil war, which was reportedly lying dormant for years.
Rebel forces seized Hama last week and pushed into Homs, potentially splitting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's controlled territories.
More than 300,000 civilians have been killed since the conflict began in 2011, and millions have been displaced across the region, according to the UN.
Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group, said the purpose of the offensive was to bring an end to Assad's rule.
"When we talk about goals, the goal of the revolution remains the overthrow of this regime. It is our right to use all available means to achieve that goal," Jolani told CNN in an interview.
The rebel alliance is led by HTS, which is rooted in the Syrian branch of AlQaeda but has sought to soften its image in recent years.
The rebels launched their offensive on Wednesday of last week, the same day a ceasefire took effect in neighboring Lebanon in the war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Fearing the rebels' advance, tens of thousands of members of Assad's Alawite minority began fleeing Homs on Thursday, residents and the Observatory said.
Homs witnessed a years-long army siege of rebel-held neighborhoods and sectarian attacks in the early years of the civil war that were deadly.
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