A mortar shell has fallen on the territory of the Russian Embassy in the Syrian capital, Damascus.



The Russian Foreign Ministry said September 22 that three embassy employees were injured in the attack, none of them seriously.



Earlier news agencies quoted an unidentified embassy official as saying no one had been injured and the embassy was working normally.



The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said rebel forces fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fired the shell.



Russia has been Assad's key international backer, providing both arms and diplomatic support.



Based on reporting by ITAR-TASS, Interfax, and AFP