Protesters Attack Russian Embassy in Libya

Local Editor

The Russian embassy in Tripoli, Libya, came under fire and there were attempts to get into Russia's diplomatic compound, Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. One of the attackers was killed.

"There has been an incident in Tripoli tonight, in which there was shelling and attempts to enter the territory of the Russian embassy in this country," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Aleksandr Lukashevich said.
Libyan authorities said one assailant was killed. Four others were injured.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, there were no injuries among embassy staff.
The ITAR-TASS news agency's witnesses said attackers tore down a Russian flag. The situation was soon brought under control and there are currently no intruders on Russia's embassy territory.

According to reports, around 10 attackers drove to the embassy in two cars. Libyan News Agency [LANA] reported that they first opened fire on a parked diplomatic vehicle.
After setting the car ablaze, the attackers opened fire on the diplomatic building itself, LANA reported. But as security forces arrived at the scene, they drove off in an unknown direction.

Later Prime Minister Ali Zeidan and Foreign Minister Mohamed Abdelaziz went to the Russian embassy to survey the damage caused, the Libyan Lana news agency reported.
The agency said that there was "minor damage" to the building.

Libya's Interior Ministry believes the attack on the Russian embassy could have been a reaction to the reported killing of a Libyan air force pilot by a Russian woman on Tuesday.
The woman was arrested by Libyan authorities and is accused of murdering the pilot, writing offensive graffiti in his blood, and stabbing his mother.
The reason for the murder is not known, but Libyan authorities noted that the graffiti expressed anti-opposition sentiments.

There has been no confirmation of this incident from Russian diplomatic channels.
A similar attack on Russia's Tripoli embassy took place in February 2012 when protesters stormed the compound. No one was injured in that attack.
Nearly two years after Gaddafi was deposed and killed, Tripoli and other Libyan cities have been plagued by violence, lawlessness and factional infighting.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team