1 killed in shell attacks near Russia’s embassy in Syria
At least one person has been killed after two mortar attacks close to Russia’s embassy in the Syrian capital, Damascus.
Three people were also injured after the shells landed near the Russian diplomatic mission on Thursday, RT Arabic reported.
Citing police reports, Syria’s official news agency, SANA, also confirmed the shelling in the al-Mazra’a area in Damascus, adding that all the victims are civilians.
On May 19, two mortar rounds also hit the premises of the Russian embassy in Damascus, inflicting some material damage, but there were no casualties.
Following the incident, the Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the attack, saying the shells were fired from the Jobar district of the Syrian capital, which is controlled by “illegal armed groups.”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich
“We treat the incident as terrorist act, aimed against the Russian Embassy. We strongly condemn its perpetrators, organizers and instigators,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich.
The Russian mission in Damascus also came under mortar attack in January this year with a shell hitting the roof of the consulate’s building.
More shelling in the Syrian capital
Foreign-backed militants load a mortar in a suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus. (file photo)
According to SANA, five civilians were also wounded after a mortar shell that struck the al-Wafideen refugee camp in the Damascus countryside on Thursday.
Meanwhile, three mortar shells hit areas in the northeastern Harasta suburb of Damascus, causing material damage.
On May 20, a mortar shell fired by foreign-backed militants also smashed into an elementary school in the Syrian capital, leaving a female teacher dead and 23 students injured.
Syria has been grappling with a deadly crisis since March 2011. The violence fueled by Takfiri groups has so far claimed the lives of over 222,000 people, according to reports.
The Western states have long supported the Takfiri groups operating against the government in Syria over the past few years.
