REPORT: Russia says opposes any resolution threatening force against Syria

               
A mortar round landed in the Russian Embassy compound in Damascus on Sunday, Syria's state news agency said. There was no immediate report of casualties.  

Quoting an unidentified "source" at the embassy, SANA said "business is usual" at the diplomatic mission following the mid-afternoon attack.

An activist group, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, confirmed that the round exploded inside the embassy compound. It said it could not immediately verify if there were any casualties. 

Russia is a leading backer of Syria's President Bashar Assad. The Observatory said the embassy was the target of several previous failed rocket attacks by rebels.

The embassy is situated in the upscale Mazraa district, which also houses several Syrian security institutions, a soccer stadium and nightclubs.

The embassy attack comes in the wake of continued diplomatic wrangling over how to collect Syria's arsenal of chemical and biological agents to prevent any repeat of the Aug. 21 attack outside Damascus that, according to the US, killed more than 1,400 people, including at least 400 children.

Last week, a UN report confirmed the use of sarin in last month's attack. Russia blamed the rebels, while the US and its European and Arab allies said Assad's forces were responsible.

On Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow was ready to send military observers to Syria to ensure security for efforts to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons.

Under a US-Russian plan, Syria is to give up its chemical weapons. Security is one of the plan's major challenges, including how to prevent theft of the weapons.    

Meanwhile, the president of the opposition Syrian Coalition, Ahmad Jarba, said the group would attend a proposed Geneva conference to end two and a half years of conflict in Syria if it aims to establish a transitional government with full powers.