RI Embassy In Damascus Declares Emergency

Cairo, Egypt (Antara Bali) - The Indonesian embassy in Damascus, Syria, has declared a state of emergency in the city.

"Syria is a dangerous place. This is the reason we have declared a state of emergency in Damascus. The Indonesian government has ordered Indonesian citizens to leave Syria. The government has requested the citizens to go to Lebanon," said the Chief of Economic, Information and Socio-cultural Functions at the Indonesian embassy in Beirut, Ahmad Syofian, on Wednesday.

He said over 600 Indonesia citizens (WNI) have been accommodated in the embassy of Damascus. The government is looking into the repatriation of its citizens.

The Indonesian government had repatriated at least 633 Indonesian citizens in Syria through the Damascus-Beirut-Jakarta route.

The Indonesian Ambassador to Lebanon, Dimas Samodra Rum, said the embassy in Beirut has accommodated about 600 Indonesian citizens. (*/DWA/T007)