Mortar shell hits Russian embassy in Damascus

MOSCOW

A mortar shell hit the Russian embassy compound in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Thursday.

"No one was injured after a mortar shell hit the Russian embassy in Damascus on Thursday afternoon," Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

Zakharova said in a statement that the mortar shell landed near the entrance of the consular section.

"The explosion caused minor material damage but no one was injured," she said.

Zakharova said "another" attack on Russian diplomatic mission was "unacceptable" and it deserved "strong" condemnation.

"The attempts of extremists to disrupt efforts aimed at ensuring cessation of hostilities in Syria should be prevented," she added.

The embassy in Damascus was shelled twice on Wednesday. This is not the first time the embassy has been pounded. On Oct. 28, two mortar shells had also hit the embassy compound.

*Reporting by Ali Cura; Writing by Diyar Guldogan