Syrian killed in attack on Russian embassy in Damascus

One Syrian was killed and nine others were injured on Thursday when mortar fire struck the Russian embassy in Damascus, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

It added that no Russian nationals were hurt in the attack by suspected rebels and that the building suffered little damage.

The Russian compound has been targeted on several occasions in recent months by rebel forces angered by Moscow's continued backing for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The foreign ministry said Russia considers the attacks "acts of terror".

Assad's regime has been fighting to put down a 32-month insurgency that has killed more than 120,000 people and displaced millions.