DFA: No Pinoys hurt in Syria Army's final push vs. Islamic militants

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Sunday said that no Filipinos have been affected by the Syrian Army's offensive against Islamic militants in Damascus.

The DFA said that Chargé d'Affaires Alex La Madrid had reported that the Philippine embassy in Damascus has been monitoring the situation in the war-torn country to ensure the safety of Filipinos.

It said that according to the embassy, at least 1,000 Filipinos are still in Syria.

The DFA said that according to the embassy, artillery and mortar exchanges had been ongoing in Damascus despite reports that Islamic militatns have agreed to surrender on Friday.

It said four civilians have been killed and 52 more have been injured since the start of the operations in Yarmouk Camp last week.

"Due to the ongoing military operations, the Embassy has reiterated its advisory for Filipinos to remain vigilant and its readiness to assist any Filipino who wishes to be repatriated in view of the prevailing situation," the DFA said. —ALG, GMA News