Damascus: Car bomb and gunfire outside US Embassy

Gunmen apparently blew up a car outside the US Embassy and exchanged fire with Syrian guards in a bold attack inside the diplomatic neighbourhood in Damascus today.

It was not immediately clear whether there were any casualties. A Syrian who works at the US Embassy said there were no US casualties. He said Syrian security forces were handling the situation.

In Washington, the US State Department said it had no immediate information and was looking into news reports of the attack.

Security forces cordoned off a neighbourhood where the American Embassy is located in the Syrian capital.

A witness said two gunmen stopped a car on the street in front of the embassy, got out of the car, shot at the Syrian sentries in front of the building’s entrance and then detonated the car.

The witness said the security personnel shot back, and security forces in the area quickly rushed to the scene, said the witness who was in the area.