The only Islamic militant arrested in the attack on the US Embassy in Damascus has died from his wounds, and authorities were unable to question him, a Syrian official and the government media said yesterday.

Meanwhile, the US has praised Syria for its swift action.

The man, who was shot as he fled an explosives-laden truck without detonating it, died in a hospital on Tuesday, said an official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The three other attackers were killed in Tuesday's brazen assault on the embassy. Syrian guards exchanged gunfire outside the compound's walls with the assailants, who shouted "God is great!" and tried to storm in with automatic weapons and hand grenades.

The attackers came in two cars, one of them an explosives-laden pickup truck. The first car pulled up in front of the embassy's entrance and three gunmen burst out.

At the same time, the truck filled with pipe bombs rigged to gas canisters pulled up to another gate on the other side of the triangular compound. But when the shooting began, the driver ran away without detonating it. He was shot and arrested, and the truck did not explode.

US thanks

Syrian authorities were not able to interrogate him because he was in critical condition before he died, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency said. All four of the alleged attackers were Syrian citizens, SANA reported.

A Syrian guard was killed in the shooting, and 10 civilians and a Chinese diplomat were injured. No Americans were hurt.

The rapid response by Syrian guards won rare praise from the United States, which accuses President Bashar Assad's government of supporting terrorism in its backing of Hezbollah guerrillas and Palestinian militants.

White House spokesman Tony Snow also thanked Syrian officials and called for Damascus to "become an ally and make the choice of fighting against terrorists."

But Syria responded with a sharp criticism of Washington, blaming its policies in Lebanon, Iraq and the Palestinian territories for increasing Islamic militancy.

"It is regrettable that US policies in the Middle East have fuelled extremism, terrorism and anti-US sentiment," the Syrian Embassy in Washington said in a statement. "The US should ... start looking at the root causes of terrorism and broker a comprehensive peace in the Middle East."

It curtly said that Syria "performed its duties" under the Geneva Conventions to protect the embassy.

There was no claim of responsibility for the attack but suspicion immediately fell on a little-known al-Qaida offshoot called Jund al-Sham, Arabic for Soldiers of Syria.

Syria's Ambassador to the US, Imad Moustapha, said it was too early to know who was behind the attack, but "it's logically possible" that Jund al-Sham was responsible.

As the US embassy remained closed yesterday amid warnings to Americans to keep a low-profile, some believed the attack could help to improve ties between Washington and Damascus.

Prospects for ties

"The ball is now in the US administration's court," Imad Moustapha told the official Ath-Thawra newspaper.

"The policies followed by this administration do not help in improving relations in a positive fashion," Mustafa said. "There is a chance to improve these relations because Syria has always believed in dialogue as a means to solving all problems and pending issues."

Relations between Washington and Damascus took a turn for the worse in February 2005 amid accusations that Syria was involved in the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.

Tensions mounted over Syria's support for the Muslim Shi'ite Lebanese Hezbollah group in its month-long war with Israel and last week the White House branded Syria and regional ally Iran "especially worrisome" threats.

"I do think that the Syrians reacted to this attack in a way that helped to secure our people and we very much appreciate that," US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said.

"It also once again illustrates the importance of Syria being an important ally in the war on terror," added White House spokesman Tony Snow. "We are hoping they will become an ally and make the choice of fighting against terrorists."

The Syrian government daily Tishrin meanwhile urged the international community to close ranks in the fight against terrorism.

"The international community must step up its efforts for a real fight against terrorism," it said in an editorial.

Analysts also hoped both sides would draw lessons from the attack and move towards improving ties in order to stem terrorism.

"All parties must review their policies and resort to dialogue to put an end to forces of extremism," said Ahmad Hajj Ali, former adviser at the Syrian information ministry.

Source: China Daily