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Middle East and North Africa

Russian embassy in Libya comes under gunfire

Situation under control, no diplomats hurt

Photo EPA/Stringer

Photo EPA/Stringer

CAIRO, October 2 (Itar-Tass) - The situation near the Russian Embassy in the Libyan capital of Tripoli is put under control. None of Russian diplomats are hurt, informed sources in the Libyan capital told Itar-Tass on Wednesday.

“On Wednesday evening, an armed attack on the diplomatic mission was delivered and an attempt to break inside the embassy was taken. The attackers opened fire and tore off the Russian national flag,” they said. “There are no aliens on the premises of the diplomatic mission now. The situation is put under control,” they said. The Libyan law enforcement agencies are searching for the attackers, the sources said. The attackers are not identified yet.

The satellite TV channel Al-Arabia has reported earlier on Wednesday that the Russian Embassy came under an attack of unidentified armed people. The shots from automatic rifles and grenade launchers were heard at the diplomatic mission, Al-Arabia reported from Tripoli.

The information and press department of the Russian Foreign Ministry has already confirmed the fact of attack, noting that, “according to the preliminary reports, no diplomats were injured.” “On Wednesday evening, the Russian Embassy in Libya came under fire and an attempt was made to break in the embassy,” the department reported. “According to the preliminary available reports, no employees of the Russian diplomatic mission were injured.”

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