DAMASCUS, April 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Four persons, including two of the four assailants, a policeman and a female civilian were killed in an attack in Damascus late Tuesday, the interior ministry said.

   Fierce armed clashes between terrorists and police in a diplomatic quarter of Damascus killed two attackers, a policeman and woman who was in the area, an Interior Ministry official told the state-run news agency SANA.

   According to the official, four gunmen detonated a bomb placed under a car, which damaged a nearby building, while Syrian security forces surrounded the group.

   The gunmen tried to flee in another car while hurling hand grenades at security forces. As a result of the exchanges of fire, two of the attackers were killed, along with a policemen and a woman who was in the area, the official added.

   Earlier, explosions were heard around 8 pm Tuesday in the west district of Damascus, where many western embassies were located.

   SANA reported that a "terrorist and sabotage group" opened fire randomly in al-Mezza Street, adding "the competent security authorities confronted the terrorist group and the situation was completely controlled."

   Xinhua correspondents reported from the scene that the capital has restored its usual calm after explosion rocked its west Mezza area, where many foreign embassies are located.

   The explosion happened before a former UN office in al-Mezza street, which is now a civilian house, a security guard of the nearby British ambassador's residence told Xinhua.

   The explosion caused fire on the four-storied building, which was burned tarred and window glasses were broken, he said, adding that the fire was soon put out.

   Security guards and traffic police were clustered before the building, who asked foreigners to stay away from the site.  Enditem