Damascus shelling of Russia embassy an 'act of terror': Lavrov

MOSCOW: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday described the shelling of Moscow's embassy in Damascus as an "act of terror" aimed at intimidating those who support Moscow's bombing campaign in Syria.
"It is a clear act of terror meant to scare supporters of fighting terrorism," Lavrov told reporters in Moscow, after two rockets struck the Russian embassy compound.
Nobody was killed during the incident which took place as some 300 people were rallying near the embassy in support of Russia's recent intervention in Syria.
Demonstrators had been waving Russian flags and holding up large photographs of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"We are counting on the perpetrators being found and that measures be taken to prevent such acts in the future," Lavrov said, adding Moscow would investigate the incident along with Syrian authorities.
Russian late last month launched a bombing campaign in the war-torn country at the request of its ally President Bashar al-Assad against what Moscow says are targets of the Islamic State jihadist group and other "terrorists".
On Tuesday, Russia's defence ministry said its air force had hit 86 targets in Syria in the past 24 hours, destroying "terrorist" command posts, training camps and ammunition depots.
And Syria's Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front called on jihadists from the Caucasus to perpetrate attacks in Russia in response to the air strikes.
Lavrov was on Tuesday meeting the United Nations' Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura in Moscow for the first time since the Kremlin launched its bombing campaign. — AFP