Russian embassy in Syria attacked, five wounded

Damascus, June 16 (IANS/EFE) The Russian embassy in Damascus was under attack on Tuesday, along with other areas of the Syrian capital, leaving five people wounded, according to activists and official Syrian media outlets.

Ten rockets were launched near the embassy in al-Mazraa neighbourhood, and also in al-Maliki and al-Mezza districts and al-Gahez park, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported.

Syria's official news agency SANA said that five people sustained injuries in the attack took place in al-Mezza, in central Damascus.

The rocket attack on the capital came after some 300 rockets were launched on Monday against areas under government control in Aleppo, killing 33 people and wounding 190 others, according to SOHR's estimates.

Staffan de Mistura, UN special envoy to Syria, is currently visiting Syria to inform the authorities of the result of the negotiations taking place in Geneva between various parties involved in the conflict.

It is not known whether the international mediator, who met with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Mualem on Monday, will meet with President Bashar al-Assad.

Syria has been the epicentre of a conflict that has caused over 230,000 deaths since mid-March, 2011.

--IANS/EFE

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