Russian Embassy Shelled As Syria Discloses Chemical Arsenal

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russian-embassy-to-syria-in-damascus-syriaThree diplomats were injured in a mortar shell targeting the Russian embassy in Damascus on Sunday as Syria promptly handed over a preliminary report of its chemical weapons in fulfillment of its commitment made earlier.

In the mortar attack, one shell was fired by militants in the hotspot district of Brazeh onto the Russian embassy compound.

Brazeh has been a scene of fierce clashes raging on for days between the rebels and the Syrian government army.

“Three members of the embassy’s staff received wounds not threatening their lives,” the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement released in Moscow.

An investigation is underway and additional steps are being taken with the help of the Syrian side to tighten security of the Russian diplomatic mission, it noted.

The Russian embassy in Damascus has been targeted several times by the opposition militants who are trying to overthrow Assad’s government.

Roughly one hour before the attack, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in Moscow that his country was ready to send military observers to safeguard the experts and process of the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapon stockpiles.

He said Russia doesn’t intend to send a full military contingent, adding it has proposed an international presence on all spots where experts will work in Syria.

In The Hague, the Organization of Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said Syria handed over a preliminary report of its chemical weapons on Saturday.

The OPCW, a watchdog that polices the Chemical Weapon Convention banning the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons, has developed a global network with several prominent laboratories since its founding in 1997.

Syria is officially to become an OPCW member on Oct. 14. The organization, supervising the destruction of Assad’s chemical arsenal, said the report has been reviewed by its verification teams, without giving further details.

Syria staved off a limited airstrike of the U.S. by committing itself to disclosing and destroying its chemical weapons, with the help of an agreement brokered by the United States and Russia in Geneva last week, which sets a timetable for the Assad government to make public its chemical weapons arsenal by Saturday.

Source: XINHUA

{Matzav.com Newscenter}


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