Russian consulate in France attacked, with no casualties reported

By Necva Tastan Sevinc

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Russian consulate in Marseille, France, was attacked with a Molotov cocktail early Monday, with no casualties reported.

The incident occurred before 8.00 a.m. local time (0700GMT) in the city's 8th arrondissement, on Avenue Ambroise-Pare, a street home to numerous foreign consulates, BFMTV reported.

Two Molotov cocktails were thrown into the consulate’s garden, but fortunately, no damage or injuries were reported, the media outlet reported, citing police sources.

The Russian consulate, located among several diplomatic missions, was the target of the early morning attack, which prompted an investigation by local authorities.

The motives behind the attack remain unclear at this time.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed an explosion at the Russian consulate in Marseille, labeling it a potential terrorist attack.

Moscow is urging France to thoroughly investigate the incident and increase security at Russian diplomatic missions, she said.