MOSCOW (Sputnik) — After a mortar shell landed near the Russian embassy in Damascus, even more security measures are required, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday.
"I would like to thank the Syrian side for its efforts in ensuring security for our embassy in Damascus, and for our citizens in Syria. Unfortunately, the need for such measures remains and is even increasing, with a mortar shell landing in the grounds of the embassy on November 23," Lavrov said at the opening of a meeting with his Syrian counterpart, Walid Muallem.
The latest Russian embassy shelling is the third attack since September. A similar attack took place on September 20. Shells came from the direction of the opposition-held Jobar suburb, according to the Russian Foreign Minister. An attack on October 13 damaged the embassy's living quarters, leaving no casualties. Lavrov called the incident a terrorist act.
Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011, with government forces countering the so-called moderate opposition and several extremist groups, including the Islamic State and the Nusra Front. On September 30, Russia launched counter-terrorist air strikes at the Syrian government's request.
