Russian ambassador to Syria says Damascus clashes damaged embassy building

Russia's Ambassador to Syria, Alexander Kinshchak said one of the Russian embassy's buildings in Damascus had been damaged in clashes between regime and opposition forces, Russian news agency RIA reported on Monday.

"We have a building that we haven't been using temporarily, not far from the epicenter of yesterday's clashes. I was told a shock wave knocked out the windows there," Kinshchak was quoted as saying.

On Sunday clashes flared on the outskirts of Damascus as regime forces violently bombarded opposition-held areas near the capital.