U.S. thanks Syria for foiling embassy attack

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has thanked Syrian forces for repelling an attack on the American Embassy in Damascus on Tuesday, saying it was too early to know who was behind the deadly assault.

The praise comes amid strained relations between the administration ofU.S. President George W. Bush and his Syrian counterpart, President Bashar Assad. Washington has been very critical of the Syrian government, including over itstight controls over its people and for supporting Hezbollah and Hamas militants.

Rice who was speaking at a joint news conference with Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay in Stellarton, N.S. said the United States appreciated the response of the security forces, which prevented the armed men from scaling the building in a battle that left four dead and 12 wounded.

According to the Associated Press, the attackers were armed with automatic rifles, hand grenades and at least one vehicle loaded with explosives. They blew up a car and exchanged gunfire with embassy guards before they were shot at by Syrian security forces.

The fighting killed three of the four assailants and a member of Syria's anti-terrorism forces was also killed. No Americans were hurt.

One of the gunmen was wounded, as well asa police officer, two Iraqis, seven people working nearby and a Chinese diplomat, who washit in the face by shrapnel. The diplomat was standing on top of a garage at the Chinese Embassy.

Rice said it was premature to start assigning blame for the assault, adding that a forensic investigation needs to take place.

"It's too early to tell who's responsible for the attack."

Syria blames al-Qaeda offshoot

No group immediately claimed responsibility, although Imad Moustapha, Syria's ambassador to the United States, told CNN that an al-Qaeda offshootcalled Jund al-Sham was suspected.

He said the militant group has been blamed for a handful of attacks in Syria in recent years.

Syrian Interior Minister Bassam Abdel Majid, in a report carried on state-run television, said the incident appeared to have been a "terrorist attack" aimed at the U.S. Embassy. The Interior Ministry oversees police forces in Syria.

"Investigations are underway to find out more details," Majid said.

Canadian Embassy assesses security

As many as 40 U.S. diplomats are posted at the embassy, which is considered about average in size, according to Tom Chase, a deputy spokesman at the U.S. State Department. About 30 Syrian guards are posted around the embassy 24 hours a day.

The injured Chinese diplomat was taken to hospital for treatment. Both the U.S. and Chinese embassies are in the diplomatic district of the Syrian capital.

The Canadian Embassy is about two kilometres away from the American building. A Canadian official said embassy employees are assessing the situation.