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Terrorists attack Russian embassy in Damascus

Wednesday, 02 August 2017 2:35 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 02 August 2017 6:08 PM ]

An unexploded mortar shell in front of the Russian Embassy building in Damascus (File photo)

Russia says its diplomatic mission in the Syrian capital of Damascus has come under mortar attack by terrorists.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that at least four mortar shells were fired at the compound.

Although the building sustained a certain level of damage, no casualties were reported in the attack, the statement added. Apparently, two mortar rounds fell on the embassy's territory while the other two hit the mission's perimeter.

"We strongly condemn terrorist attacks on the Russian diplomatic mission in Damascus," the ministry said.

"We'd like to reiterate once again that Russia has drawn attention on multiple occasions to barbaric nature of the bombardments, which terrorists regularly carry out against the residential quarters in Damascus and other populated Syrian cities. Every day, civilians, women and children become the victims of these attacks," it added.

This is the second time in less than a month that terrorists fire shells at the embassy. The first mortar attack occurred on July 16.

The Russian ministry said it hopes this time all members of the UN Security Council would agree that the attack was indeed a terrorist act.

Last week, the Security Council failed to adopt a media statement condemning the July 16 attack, after Moscow’s suggested text was voted down by several members on the grounds that there was not enough evidence backing the claim.

Russia’s mission in Syria said in a statement back then that it “regretted” the decision and deemed “further work on this document useless” because “it was suggested that all important provisions of the project should be deleted.”

“Alas, despite our partners’ statements of viewing anti-terrorism struggle as their priority, they repeatedly try to protect those who they probably think may be useful in their devastating geopolitical plans regarding Syria,” said Press Secretary of the Permanent Mission of Russia to the UN Fyodor Strzhizhovsky.

Russia has been running a military campaign against terrorist positions across Syria since September 2015, upon a request from Damascus.

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