US Embassy Attacked in Damascus, Syria (Happy 9-12)
In an apparent attempt to capitalize on the ongoing remembrances worldwide of the 9-11 attacks, a terrorist group attempted to attack the US Embassy, located in the Rawda area of Damascus, Syria, about an hour ago.
Equipped with some sort of car bomb, the attack was foiled by security forces, who killed 3 of the attackers and wounded a fourth. At least some of the bomb is thought to have detonated, or simply burned, the car appeared merely burned out without significant deformation of the frame, and television footage shows a hibachi-sized propane tank surrounded by pipe bombs.
"A terrorist operation targeted the US embassy. Security forces have brought the situation under control. Three terrorists were killed and one was wounded," said Interior Minister General Bassam Abdel Majid on state television.
A witness said two gunmen stopped a car on the street in front of the embassy, got out of the car, shot at the Syrian sentries in front of the building's entrance and then detonated the car.
The witness said the security personnel shot back, and security forces in the area quickly rushed to the scene, said the witness who was in the area.
Britain's ambassador to Syria Peter Ford told CNN that the attack did not appear to be a "major al-Qaeda like operation, but an operation by a small group".
Syrian officials said the four attackers shouted religious slogans and threw a grenade into the yard of the US embassy.
Live CNN reporting from the scene says that Syrian forces have taken four men into custody in connection with this attack.
Such attacks are not new in Damascus. In 2004, an attack against the Canadian embassy was undertaken, four people were killed in a clash between Syrian police and a team of suspected bombers, who attempted to detonate a car bomb outside the embassy.
What the meaning of this attack is remains to be determined. Given that both Hezbollah and Hamas have Damascus offices and training facilities, this attack may be a matter of striking at the US for letting Israel run loose against both groups in recent months. Another possibility is the involvement of Iranian intelligence, although with Hezbollah and Hamas involved as Iranian proxies, that goes without saying. Other links may be between the Iraqi Sunni Baathist insurgents and Baathists in Syria, either native Syrians or Saddam followers who fled there during the US invasion.
Reports on this story are coming out from all the major news orgs: CNN, BBC, etc.
Equipped with some sort of car bomb, the attack was foiled by security forces, who killed 3 of the attackers and wounded a fourth. At least some of the bomb is thought to have detonated, or simply burned, the car appeared merely burned out without significant deformation of the frame, and television footage shows a hibachi-sized propane tank surrounded by pipe bombs.
"A terrorist operation targeted the US embassy. Security forces have brought the situation under control. Three terrorists were killed and one was wounded," said Interior Minister General Bassam Abdel Majid on state television.
A witness said two gunmen stopped a car on the street in front of the embassy, got out of the car, shot at the Syrian sentries in front of the building's entrance and then detonated the car.
The witness said the security personnel shot back, and security forces in the area quickly rushed to the scene, said the witness who was in the area.
Britain's ambassador to Syria Peter Ford told CNN that the attack did not appear to be a "major al-Qaeda like operation, but an operation by a small group".
Syrian officials said the four attackers shouted religious slogans and threw a grenade into the yard of the US embassy.
Live CNN reporting from the scene says that Syrian forces have taken four men into custody in connection with this attack.
Such attacks are not new in Damascus. In 2004, an attack against the Canadian embassy was undertaken, four people were killed in a clash between Syrian police and a team of suspected bombers, who attempted to detonate a car bomb outside the embassy.
What the meaning of this attack is remains to be determined. Given that both Hezbollah and Hamas have Damascus offices and training facilities, this attack may be a matter of striking at the US for letting Israel run loose against both groups in recent months. Another possibility is the involvement of Iranian intelligence, although with Hezbollah and Hamas involved as Iranian proxies, that goes without saying. Other links may be between the Iraqi Sunni Baathist insurgents and Baathists in Syria, either native Syrians or Saddam followers who fled there during the US invasion.
Reports on this story are coming out from all the major news orgs: CNN, BBC, etc.
posted by Mike Lorrey at 5:03 AM
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