U.S. Embassy In Syria Attacked By Militants
Posted September 12, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
An Islamic militant group with links to al-Qaida is believed to be behind an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Syria Tuesday.
Only a day after President George W. Bush vowed to keep up his country’s war on terror, men armed with rifles, hand grenades and a van loaded with explosives attempted to storm the complex in Damascus.
Gunmen started shooting outside the entrance, injuring an armed guard. Embassy security officials took to the roof and opened fire on the assailants.
Four people were killed including three attackers but there were no American casualties.
The al-Qaida offshoot group Jund al-Sham was suspected according to Imad Moustapha, Syria’s ambassador to the United States. The group has been blamed for previous attacks in the country.
Militants weren’t able to breach the walls surrounding the compound, which is situated in a heavily-guarded area of Damascus. One of Syria’s anti-terrorism security troops was killed and 11 others were injured including seven employees at a workshop nearby.
The Canadian Embassy isn’t far from the American building, but officials there said they hadn’t taken any action.
“The Canadian Embassy in Damascus is monitoring the situation and all embassy personnel have been accounted for,” said Marie-Christine Lilkoff, a Foreign Affairs spokeswoman.
Disturbing television footage showed the van filled with pipe bombs and propane gas canisters – had they detonated the damage would have been catastrophic.
The attack comes as anti-American sentiment grows in Syria due to the recent Israeli-Hezbollah conflict. The U.S. supported Israel in its offensive, while Syria backed Hezbollah, a militant group.
It’s not the first time the U.S. Embassy has been targeted – in 2000, anti-American rioters tried to storm the compound but were pushed back by police firing tear gas.
