Syria conflict: Rebels shell pro-Russia rally outside embassy in Damascus

The Kremlin has been one of President Assad’s strongest supporters since the start of the uprising in 2011

Syrians gather in front of the Russian embassy to thank Russia for its military intervention (EPA/STR)

The demonstration outside the Russian embassy in Damascus was supposedly to thank Vladimir Putin for his intervention in Syria. Within minutes of its start, however, the rebels who threaten the flagging regime of Bashar al-Assad shelled the building in what was described by Moscow as a “terror” attack.

In a clear sign that Russian military intervention in Syria is not as welcome as Moscow would claim, rebels fired two shells at the embassy on Tuesday. The first hit the compound in central Damascus and smoke billowed from inside. As people started running away, another shell fell 200 metres away. There were no serious injuries reported, but Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said: “This is obviously a terrorist act intended to frighten supporters of the war against terror and to not allow them to prevail in the fight with extremism.”

Insurgents have vowed to fight Russian forces after Moscow began launching air strikes in Syria last month. The Kremlin has been one of Mr Assad’s strongest supporters since the start of the uprising in 2011. The civil war has killed more than 250,000 people and displaced half of Syria’s population.

Video: Russian airstrikes destroy ammo dump near Latakia

Before the shelling, the demonstrators had gathered outside the embassy carrying posters of Mr Assad and Mr Putin, and waved the two countries’ flags. Some held placards that read: “Thanks Russia” and “Syria and Russia are together to fight terrorism”.

“President Putin’s stances were absolutely positive for Syria,” said Nizar Maqsoud, 39, a civil servant in Damascus.

“All the West stood against us. Only Russia backed us – we are all here to thank Russia and President Putin,” said Osama Salal, an 18-year-old student.

Russia began launching air strikes in Syria on 30 September, allowing Syrian government forces to launch a multi-pronged ground assault. Moscow insists it is targeting Isis and other “terrorists”, but the ground-and-air offensive is being waged in areas controlled by US-backed rebels as well as other insurgents, including the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra.

The al-Nusra leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has released an audio message describing the Russian military intervention as a new “Crusader campaign” aiming to save the Assad regime. He called on Syrian militant and rebel groups to unite and intensify shelling of villages inhabited by members of Mr Assad’s minority Alawite sect. Al-Golani also called on Muslims in the former Soviet Union to attack Russian civilians if Russians target civilians in Syria.

“The Russian intervention came to declare a new eastern Crusader war after the western Crusader war failed in Syria,” the Islamist said, in an apparent reference to Western coalition air strikes. Al-Golani said the Russians were not targeting Isis, but are instead striking at militants who are fighting the government. He promised to pay €3m to anyone who kills Mr Assad and €2m to anyone who kills Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, whose men are fighting alongside Assad’s forces.

The Syrian ground offensive continued for a seventh day in central and north-western regions, killing dozens of insurgents. According to Syrian state media, troops captured the village of Lahaya hours after capturing the village of Mansoura on the northern edge of the central Hama province.

Lebanon’s pro-Syrian daily Al-Akhbar and the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said civilian flights had stopped at the Basel Al-Assad International Airport in the coastal province of Latakia because of activity by Russian warplanes at a nearby military base.

The airport, also known by its old name “Hemeimeem”, is being used by Iranian planes to bring in thousands of Iranian fighters to take part in the government offensive, said the Observatory, which relies on local activists. Iran, another key ally of Mr Assad, has sent military advisers to aid his forces but denies sending combat troops to Syria. A civil aviation official in Damascus said that only international flights to the airport had been stopped.

AP