Syrian President Bashar Assad
Photo: AFP
US Embassy in Damascus
Photo: AFP
US says embassy in Damascus will be closed to public
Spokesman confirms American Embassy to be closed to public on Thursday 'due to increased security risk.' Tensions between Washington, Damascus grow following Sunday raid
The United States said on Wednesday it will close its embassy in Damascus to the public on Thursday due to security concerns amid rising tensions between the two countries following a US raid on Syria .
A demonstration is planned in the Syrian capital on Thursday to protest against the raid which Damascus said killed eight civilians.
Fraying Ties
Roee Nahmias and AP
Damascus retaliates following Sunday's US raid on Syrian-Iraqi border, orders two American institutions closed, files official censure with UN
Syria had earlier ordered an American school and cultural centre to be shut down in an apparent response to the US action on Sunday.
Relations between Washington and Damascus are already strained by US accusations that Syria is failing to stop militants, including al Qaeda fighters, from entering Iraq.
The US embassy in Damascus said in a statement it will be closed on Thursday due to "increased security risk".
An embassy spokesman earlier said that Americans in Syria must be aware that "unforeseen events or circumstances may occur that could cause the US Embassy in Damascus to close to the public for an unspecified period of time."
"The US Embassy in Damascus remains concerned about the continued threat of terrorist attacks, demonstrations and other violent actions against US citizens," he said.
The spokesman declined to comment on whether the number or status of US diplomats in Syria could change.
A message on the embassy's web site advised Americans to avoid demonstrations and review their personal security. The warning was posted Monday.
A day earlier, US troops landing in helicopters attacked a compound near the Iraqi border, killing eight people.
The attack drew an angry response from Syria. The government on Tuesday ordered an American school and cultural center in the capital to close.
A demonstration is planned in Damascus on Thursday by groups describing themselves as independent to protest against the raid on the Syrian side of the border with Iraq.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
