Pakistan issues travel advisory for Syria

The Pakistani Foreign Office (FO) issued an advisory on Friday urging Pakistani nationals to avoid traveling to Syria due to the ongoing conflict and rapidly evolving situation in the country.

The advisory comes after territorial gains by Syrian rebel forces, who on Thursday captured the central city of Hama, following their recent capture of Aleppo.

The rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), launched the offensive over a week ago, intensifying the fighting against the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

HTS aims to overthrow Assad's government, and reports suggest that the rebels are now advancing toward Syria’s Homs, which, if captured, would effectively sever the connection between the capital, Damascus, and the Mediterranean coast.

This would represent a major blow to the Assad regime, which has been in power for over five decades.

In light of the escalating violence, the FO urged Pakistani citizens to refrain from unnecessary travel to Syria until the situation stabilizes. It also advised those already in Syria to exercise extreme caution and to maintain communication with the Pakistani Embassy in Damascus. The embassy's contact details were included in the advisory.