MOSCOW, September 21. /TASS/. The Russian embassy in Damascus came under mortar fire on Sunday, September 20, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Monday.

"At 09:00 a.m. on September 20, a mortar shell hit the territory of the Russian embassy in Damascus. The shell was driven deep into the earth and made no damage," the ministry said. "A large labelled fragment of the shell was later extracted from the earth by Syrian mine clearance specialists. Efforts are now being taken to find out how this shell came across to militants."

"We condemn the criminal attack on the Russian diplomatic representation in Damascus," the ministry stressed. "We expect a clear position over this terrorist attack from all members of the international community, including regional parties."

"But not mere words but concrete actions are actually needed," the Russian foreign ministry said. "The mortar shell was fired at the Russian embassy from the Jobar district, a stronghold of anti-government gunmen. They claim they don’t belong to the Islamic State [a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia - TASS], but have foreign sponsors who bear responsibility to exert influence on illegal armed groups."