Eurasia Press & News
A mortar shell hit the compound of the Chinese Embassy in Syria’s capital Damascus, damaging the building and injuring a Syrian employee.
It was the first time that the Chinese Embassy was hit since the Syrian conflict broke out 2-and-a-half years ago.
The Chinese Embassy confirmed that the mortar shell which was allegedly launched from a southern suburb of Damascus fell into its compound on Monday, damaging part of the office building’s base walls and shattering some windows.
A Syrian worker, who was cleaning an office, was injured in the attack. He was being treated at a nearby hospital.
Syria’s state news agency SANA reported that the capital city was hit by 3 mortar shells in the day.
The Chinese Embassy is located within the highly secured Mezze neighborhood which also houses embassies and consulates of other countries in Syria. The presidential complex also sits at the top of the Mezze Hill.
The Iraqi Consulate in the same area was hit by a mortar shell last week, killing an Iraqi woman and injuring three people, and a shell struck the Russian embassy a few days earlier, wounding three people.
After the attack, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said in a statement that China was shocked by the incident and strongly condemns it.
China strongly urges relevant parties of Syria to strictly abide by the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations and guarantee the safety of the diplomatic institutions and personnel of China as well as other countries, Hong said.
He appealed to the relevant parties to ceasefire immediately and open dialogue, put an end to the crisis and restore the country’s peace and stability.
