Nearly 60 percent of U.S. embassy employees and their families were ordered to leave Cuba amid a number of unknown health attacks affecting American diplomats, according to The Hill.
A senior U.S. Department of State official confirmed the news to The Hill Friday. The embassy will still provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Cuba, but will be unavailable to provide many routine services due to the drawdown, according to the report.
Federal officials also issued a travel warning advising American citizens not to travel to Cuba. U.S. officials' travel to Cuba will be limited to those investigating the health attacks and those with business related to U.S. national security interests.
The senior State Department official told the publication the skeletal staff at the embassy will remain in effect until the Cuban government takes the necessary steps to secure the safety of Americans in the country, the report states.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement Sept. 29, "The health, safety, and well-being of our embassy community is our greatest concern. We will continue to aggressively investigate these attacks until the matter is resolved."
Officials also said the U.S. "has not ruled out the possibility that a third country could be responsible for the attacks," the report states.
At least 21 individuals have been subjected to "health attacks," beginning in 2016, that caused them to develop various medical conditions, such as mild traumatic brain injury and potential damage to their central nervous systems.
U.S. and Cuban officials have reportedly launched independent investigations into whether the diplomats were the targets of "a type of sonic attack directed at their homes." U.S. officials reportedly do not believe Cuba is directly responsible or involved with the attacks.
The source of the attacks has not been determined.