ROME (Reuters) -Syrian rebels entered the residence of the Italian ambassador in Damascus on Sunday, but did not harm him or his security staff, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said, calling for a peaceful transfer of power in the country.
The Islamist fighters, who declared President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster after seizing control of the capital on Sunday, were looking for pro-Assad troops or relevant documents, and left after firing a few shots against a wall, Tajani told a press conference.
“This morning an armed group entered the garden of the ambassador’s residence. They took away only three cars and that was it. Neither the ambassador nor the Carabinieri (embassy police) were harmed,” Tajani said.
“We are calling for a peaceful handover between the fallen regime and the new reality, so for a peaceful rather than military transition. It seems to me that at the moment things are going in this direction,” he added.
There are about 300 Italian citizens in Syria, Tajani’s office said.
The minister said his government was ready to help them leave the country, but apart from a group of 15 who crossed into Lebanon overnight, there are currently no other evacuation requests.
(Reporting by Alvise Armellini;Editing by Helen Popper)
