DAMASCUS, Oct 30: The US embassy in Syria shut its doors on Thursday as thousands marched through Damascus to protest at a deadly American raid on a village near the Iraqi border that Syria branded a barbaric act.

Security was boosted around the area housing the US embassy, which decided to close because of the potential threat of violence, although demonstrators stayed away from the mission.

“Colonialists, listen, the people of Syria will never be brought to their knees,” cried youths as they massed in the city centre, waving Syrian flags and pictures of President Bashar al-Assad.

Demonstrators, including civil servants and students, waved Syrian flags and banners reading “No to American terrorism” and “American democracy the killing of civilians at Abu Kamal”, the area targeted in Sunday’s US raid.

“I want to denounce this act of American terrorism. We are going to liberate Palestine, and Syria will liberate its occupied land,” said a Palestinian woman named Shaimaa.

The protest wound down after several hours with no reports of violence, with security tight in the Abu Rumaneh area where the US embassy as well as the Saudi and Iraqi missions are located.

The US embassy announced on its website it had closed on Thursday because of a possible demonstration and warned American citizens to stay away from the area.

It said the decision was made “due to past demonstrations which resulted in violence and significant damage to US facilities and other embassies”, adding that the American school would also be temporarily shut.

A US official in Washington has said the operation targeted a top militant who smuggled arms and fighters into Iraq but officially the State Department and Pentagon have declined to comment.—AFP