Syria: Armed group steals cars from Italian ambassador’s residence in Damascus

Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani said on Sunday that an armed group entered the garden of the Italian ambassador's residence in Damascus and stole three cars. This occurred after Islamist rebels claimed they had seized control of the city.

Speaking after a crisis meeting on the situation in Syria, Tajani said, "This morning, an armed group entered the garden of the residence of Italy's ambassador... they took away three automobiles." He explained that the group appeared to be checking for Assad’s soldiers but did not harm the ambassador or the Italian police stationed there.

Tajani confirmed that the ambassador is "safe" and working remotely from another location. He added, "The situation is completely under control in a complicated context. There is great jubilation in Syria, but it is manifested by shooting in the air, which adds to the complexity."

Earlier in the day Islamist-led rebels declared they had entered Damascus after a rapid offensive against the forces of President Bashar al-Assad.