ROME: Italy is telling all its citizens to leave Syria as fighting rages in parts of Damascus and as rebels say they have launched an operation in Aleppo.

The Foreign Ministry issued the alert Sunday due to the "progressive deterioration of the security situation in Syria."

Syrian rebels said Sunday they had launched an operation to liberate the country's largest city Aleppo from government forces while in the capital Damascus, government troops took back control of some rebel-held neighborhoods.

Last week Italy issued a travel advisory warning Italians to avoid traveling to Syria and suggesting those still there get out. Italy closed its embassy in Damascus in March.