ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The United States on Friday warned its citizens of potential imminent attacks on diplomatic missions and international organizations in Syria during Eid al-Fir holidays, urging them to leave the country as soon as possible.

“The U.S. Department of State cautions U.S. citizens of the increased possibility of attacks during Eid al-Fitr holiday, which could target embassies, international organizations, and Syrian public institutions in Damascus,” read a statement from the US embassy in Syria, adding that the attacks could be in the form of “individual attackers, armed gunmen, or the use of explosive devices.”

Accordingly, the embassy advised US citizens to “leave Syria now,” or exercise caution, avoid crowds and locations frequented by foreigners, and review personal security plans, among other recommendations.

“The U.S. Department of State’s Travel Advisory for Syria is at Level 4: Do Not Travel.  This advisory remains in effect due to the significant risks of terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, hostage-taking, armed conflict, and unjust detention.”

Muslims around the world are set to mark Eid al-Fitr on either Sunday or Monday and the following three days.

The warning from Washington comes weeks after bloody escalations in Syria, during which security forces affiliated with the new administration carried out military operations targeting civilians accused of being loyalists of the ousted regime. Around 1,400 civilians were killed, mostly Alawites - an ethnoreligious group closely associated with the Assad family.

An 11-day sweeping rebel offensive spearheaded by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, brought a five-decade-long rule of the Assad family to an end on December 8.

HTS is designated a terrorist organization by Washington. The US had a $10 million bounty on Sharaa, also known by his nom de guerre Abu Muhammad al-Julani, before dropping the reward in late December.

US President Donald Trump has been mostly quiet about Syria since returning to the White House in January, but his administration has repeatedly stressed that they are monitoring the actions of the new Damascus authorities.

“We are monitoring the Syrian interim authorities' actions in general, across a number of issues, as we determine and think about the future U.S. policy for Syria,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters during a presser earlier this month.