CNN reports that the United States has closed its embassy in Syria and withdrawn its staff.
ABC News confirms that U.S. embassy officials have left the country amid increasing violence.
« We have serious concerns about the deteriorating security situation in Damascus, » the State Department said in a written statement last month, according to Reuters.
U.S. Ambassador Robert Ford left Syria in October following threats to his safety, however he returned to the country in December.
According to CNN, 17 embassy officials, including Ambassador Ford, left the country Monday morning. Most reportedly traveled by convoy to neighboring Jordan.
Last week, the UN Security Council failed to approve a resolution condemning Bashar al-Assad’s regime crackdown after Russia and China cast vetoes.
This is a breaking news update. Please check back for more information. Reuters’ earlier story appears below.
U.S. President Barack Obama vowed to apply sanctions and step up pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government to leave power but said the Syrian crisis could be resolved without outside military intervention.
« I think it is very important for us to try to resolve this without recourse to outside military intervention. And I think that’s possible, » Obama told NBC’s « Today » show in an interview broadcast on Monday.
(Reporting By Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Bill Trott)
