A building next to the Iranian Embassy in the Syrian capital of Damascus comes under a missile attack on April 1, 2024. (Photo by Sputnik)

Damascus, April 1 (RHC)-- The Consular Section of the Iranian Embassy in the Syrian capital of Damascus has come under a missile attack, with immediate reports of casualties as a result of the act of aggression. 

Syria's official news agency, SANA, said the strikes were carried out by “the Israeli enemy” and targeted the Mezzeh neighborhood in Damascus on Monday afternoon.  “At approximately 00:17 p.m. today, the Israeli enemy launched an air aggression from the direction of the occupied Syrian Golan, targeting the Iranian consulate building in Damascus,” SANA said, citing a military source as saying. 

“Our air defense media responded to the aggression’s missiles and shot down some of them.  The aggression led to the destruction of the entire building and the martyrdom and injury of everyone inside, and work is underway to recover the bodies.”  SANA, citing one of its correspondents, said the Israeli aggression also caused major destruction to "neighboring buildings."

Iran's Ambassador to Damascus Hossein Akbari confirmed the reports of the Israeli attack and said the regime had targeted the consular building with six missiles.

Akbari said seven people were martyred in the Israeli aggression but the names and the exact number of martyrs have yet to be specified.  “This regime has no respect for international laws,” he added. “We will support the resistant nation [of Palestine] and have no fear of the criminality of this regime.”

Meanwhile, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad has visited Iran's Embassy following the missile attack.   Condemning the Israeli aggression, Mekdad said, “The Israeli occupation entity will not be able to influence the relations between Iran and Syria.”