US ambassador Robert Ford pulled out of Syria

Mr Ford angered Syrian authorities by showing solidarity with activists involved in an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's rule.

A US spokesman said Mr Ford had left Damascus at the weekend after "credible threats against his personal safety".

Last month, Mr Ford and colleagues were pelted with eggs and tomatoes when visiting an opposition figure.

He was then briefly trapped in his office by pro-Assad demonstrators.

An official at the US embassy in Damascus told the Associated Press Mr Ford had not been formally recalled.

Mark Toner, a spokesman for the US state department, said Mr Ford's return to Syria would depend on an "assessment of Syrian regime-led incitement and the security situation on the ground".

"We hope that the Syrian regime will end its incitement campaign against Ambassador Ford," he said.

Mr Ford, an Arabic-speaker who has served in several Arab countries, has expressed solidarity with protesters as well as denouncing Syria's crackdown on its opponents.

He has warned of the risk of sectarian conflict developing in Syria if the authorities intensify their suppression of protests; Kazinform cites BBC.

To learn more go to www.bbc.co.uk