Mortar round hits Vatican embassy in Damascus

A mortar round hit the Vatican embassy in Damascus on Tuesday morning, damaging the building but causing no casualties, according to a diplomatic source. "A mortar round fell this morning at 6:30 am (0430 GMT) on the embassy rooftop, causing only material damage," the source said. Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border guards being reported across the country. Hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed, when some protest rallies turned into armed clashes. The government blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups for the deaths, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad. Tel Aviv, Washington and some Arab capitals have been staging various plots to topple President Bashar al-Assad, who is well known in the world for his anti-Israeli stances.