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Al-Qaida Offshoot Group Blamed in Syria Attack NewsMax.com Wires DAMASCUS, Syria -- Armed Islamic militants attempted to storm the U.S. Embassy in a brazen attack Tuesday, the government said. Four people were killed, including three of the assailants. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but an al-Qaida offshoot group was suspected, Syria's ambassador to the United States said.
No Americans were hurt in the attack, in which the militants used automatic rifles, hand grenades and at least one van rigged with explosives.
The al-Qaida offshoot group, called Jund al-Sham, has been blamed for several attacks in Syria in recent years, the Syrian ambassador, Imad Moustapha, said in comments to CNN.
The attackers apparently did not breach the high walls surrounding the white embassy compound in a diplomatic neighborhood of Damascus. But one of Syria's anti-terrorism security troops was killed in the attack and at least 11 others were injured including a local embassy police officer, two Iraqis and seven workers at a nearby technical workshop, Syria's official news agency reported. Story Continues Below
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, on a trip to Nova Scotia, praised the work of Syrian security agents who repelled the attack, but said it was too early to know who may have been behind it.
In the past, the Bush administration has been very critical of the tight control that the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad has over its people, but Rice would not speculate on whether Tuesday's attack may be an indication that the regime's control is slipping.
"I think it's very early to try and speculate why this may have happened," Rice said.
© 2006 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Editor's note: Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
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