Russian embassy in Damascus hit by mortar shells

Russia says its embassy in the Syrian capital, Damascus, has been hit by mortar shells twice.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that an inner yard of the embassy complex had been hit by a shell in the afternoon.

Another shell fell near the diplomatic mission, the statement added.

Moscow condemned the shelling, which it blamed on “extremists.”

The foreign ministry said the incident amounted to a provocation aimed at derailing the settlement of peace in Syria.

The Russian diplomatic mission in war-torn Syria has so far come under several militant attacks.

Russia has been engaged in an anti-terror campaign in Syria since September 30, 2015, based on a request from the Damascus government. According to analysts, the campaign has largely been successful in helping Syrian government forces dislodge foreign-sponsored terrorists from many regions across the country.