Syria evacuates army buildings in Damascus ahead of possible western military strike

The Syrian government has evacuated most personnel from army and security command headquarters in central Damascus in preparation for a Western military strike.

US-led air or missile strikes on Syria look certain after the United States and European and Middle Eastern allies blamed a suspected chemical weapons attack that killed hundreds in the city on 21 August on President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

According to news24, army units stationed near Damascus have confiscated several trailer trucks, apparently to transport heavy weaponry to alternative locations.

Among the buildings that have been partially evacuated are the General Staff Command Building on Umayyad Square, and the nearby air force command and the security compounds in the Western Kfar Souseh districts, residents of the area and a Free Syrian Army rebel source said.

The General Staff building, one of the top military headquarters in the country, has been operating with reduced staffing since it was attacked by rebel bombs in September 2012, the report added.