Washington (CNN) -- The United States shuttered its embassy in Syria and pulled out its remaining staff Monday after the government refused to address its security concerns, the State Department said.
Officials said 17 employees, including Ambassador Robert Ford, left the country. Two employees flew out of Syria last week by commercial air, with the rest of them, including Ford, traveling by convoy Monday morning to Jordan. Most of the staff were evacuated earlier in the year. The diplomatic team already had been reduced in December.
Syrian was notified about the decision to pull the staff and close the embassy after the employees were out of the country, State Department officials said.
