US condemns shelling of Russian embassy in Damascus - State Department

WASHINGTON, May 20. /TASS/. The United States condemns Tuesday’s mortar attack on the Russian embassy in Syria’s capital Damascus, State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke has said. "The United States condemns today's mortar attack on the Russian Embassy compound in Damascus, a facility protected by international law," Rathke said in a press statement. "We call for those responsible for all such acts to be held accountable and continue to stress the need for a political solution to the turmoil in Syria," the diplomat said. Earlier in the day, the UN Security Council condemned the attack on Russia’s embassy in Damascus as terrorist act. Russia’s embassy was shelled presumably from the Jobar district controlled by illegal armed groups, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said. No one was hurt in the attack, but the building was damaged, he said. The ministry considers the shelling a terrorist attack against the diplomatic mission, he said, calling on the international community to respond to this incident. "We urge all parties enjoying influence on extremists in Syria to demand they immediately stop such actions," he said. Read more