Three assailants were killed and one wounded by security forces in an attack on Tuesday on the US embassy in the Syrian capital, the interior minister said.
"A terrorist operation targeted the US embassy. Security forces have brought the situation under control. Three terrorists were killed and one was wounded," the minister, General Bassam Abdel Majid, said on state television.
Witnesses said that two of the attackers had sought refuge in a nearby building but were pursued and killed by security forces.
A car was earlier intercepted by Syrian security on a road leading to the embassy, the witnesses said.
"They started shooting at the car whose passengers responded by throwing grenades out of the windows at the mission and nearby buildings," one witness said, declining to be named.
The blasts in the Abu Remmeneh district of Damascus where the US and several other foreign missions are located sent black smoke into the air.
The entire diplomatic district was cordoned off by Syrian security forces.