Rockets hit Russian embassy in Damascus

Moscow says its air campaign has targeted Islamic State fighters, although many of its strikes have taken place in territory controlled by rival rebel group supported by Assad’s foreign enemies, prompting Western condemnation.

“Two mortar rounds hit the Russian Embassy compound in Damascus”. A second witness said one of them landed inside the compound but did not hit the building itself.

Earlier on Tuesday the head of Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate has called on jihadists in the Caucasus to attack Russian civilians and soldiers in retaliation for Moscow’s air strikes in Syria. “Employees at the diplomatic mission were not hurt”, the Embassy employee told RIA Novosti.

It was not immediately clear if there were casualties.

Al-Jolani added that recent “mujahedeen” attacks on Syrian regime forces had “foiled the regime’s plan to establish an Alawite state stretching from south of Damascus to the Latakia province”.

A few held placards that read: “Thanks Russia” and “Syria and Russian Federation are together to fight terrorism”.

He pledged that Moscow’s air war, which began on September 30, would have dire consequences.

The attack comes after after al-Qaida’s branch in Syria, Nusra Front, called for retaliation against the Russian airstrikes and the Syrian government.

This photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, shows Syrians holding photos of Syrian President Bashar Assad and Russian flags, during a protest to thank Moscow for its intervention in Syria, in front of the Russian embassy in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, October 13, 2015.

“If the Russian army kills the people of Syria, then kill their people”. Al-Golani said the Russians are not targeting the IS group, but are instead striking at militants who are fighting the government.

Jolani also offered “two million euros ($2.2 million) for whoever kills Hassan Nasrallah”, leader of Lebanon’s Shiite Hezbollah movement whose men have been fighting alongside Assad’s forces.