Official: UAE embassy in Syrian capital attacked

The UAE embassy in Damascus came under attack on Wednesday, an Emirates foreign ministry official said as the Gulf state took part in a meeting in Morocco on ending violence in Syria. "The UAE condemns the attack against its embassy in Damascus and the Syrian government bares responsibility for the safety and protection of the chancery and the security of its staff," said Jumaa al-Junaibi, quoted by the official WAM news agency. He reminded Syria's government that international conventions required it to "protect diplomatic missions" on its territory, accusing it of "negligence." Protesters had also attacked the Moroccan embassy in Damascus on Wednesday, pelting it with eggs and stones as the North African country hosted a Turkish-Arab gathering on the unrest in Syria. Mococco's ambassador, Mohammed Khassasi, told AFP that up to 150 people protested in front of his mission before attacking the building and stripped it of its flag. On Monday, Syria's foreign minister, Walid Muallem, apologised for protester attacks on foreign embassies after the Arab League voted to suspend his country from the bloc. "I, as foreign minister, apologise for this matter," Muallem told a news conference in the Syrian capital, adding that protecting the embassies was part of Syria's responsibilities. On Saturday, hundreds of angry demonstrators attacked the embassies of France, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. France recalled its ambassador to Syria on Wednesday while the US envoy, abruptly withdrawn last month because of security threats, is supposed to return to Syria in "days to weeks," Washington has said.