Syria 'fingers' al-Qaeda

2004-04-27 22:06

Damascus - Three loud explosions were heard in a district of the Syrian capital that houses several embassies late on Tuesday, as official sources reported a gunbattle between "terrorists" and security forces.

Syria's ambassador to the United States, Imad Mustafa, told CNN that one assailant was killed and another captured in the gunbattle.

He appeared to point a finger of blame at al-Qaeda.

"We've being doing our best against al-Qaeda. We share the same enemy (as the United States). We aid the US in its fight against al-Qaeda and terrorism," said the envoy.

UN building on fire

An AFP correspondent at the scene in the Mazzeh district of western Damascus said a building which houses UN offices was on fire, while residents said one of the explosions occurred near the City Mall shopping centre.

SANA said that "terrorists" had attacked security forces in Mazzeh.

"A terrorist and sabotage group opened fire indiscriminately in the Mazzeh district," SANA said, quoting a security source.

"The security services confronted them and are in full control of the situation."

The Mazzeh district is home to several Western and Middle East embassies, including those of Britain, Canada, Iran and Saudi Arabia, as well as UN offices.

SANA later scrapped a report that three gunmen were killed in a gunbattle with police outside the Canadian embassy, without giving an explanation.

It said earlier, quoting its own reporters, that four gunmen fired at passers-by and Syrian police in front of the embassy, sparking a gunbattle in which three of the assailants were killed and the other wounded.

Area cordoned off

Local residents contacted by AFP said sirens blared after the explosions and that security forces had cordoned off the area. Rounds of automatic gunfire were also heard.

The gunfire stopped at about 18:00 GMT, an hour after the blasts, they said, adding that a university campus in the area was evacuated.

In London, the Foreign Office confirmed that at least one explosion and a shooting incident took place close to the residences of the Iranian and British ambassadors.

"There has been an explosion and shooting close to the Iranian ambassador's residence and in the vicinity of the British ambassador's residence," a spokesperson said.

He said no injuries had been reported to British embassy staff.

US diplomats in the Syrian capital reported hearing two loud explosions, but could not determine what caused them or their exact location, a state department official said.

However, the official, citing the diplomats' report-back to Washington, said the explosions were not near the US embassy in Damascus.

The official added that the US embassy was closed for the day at the time of the blasts and that the diplomats were seeking further information from Syrian authorities.

- AFP