Russian embassy in Libya attacked by gunmen in Tripoli Published duration 2 October 2013

media caption Watch footage of the aftermath of the attack on the Russian embassy in Tripoli

Gunmen have attacked the Russian embassy in Libya, according to the Russian foreign ministry.

The unidentified attackers shot at the Tripoli compound and tried to force entry, officials said.

A BBC journalist at the scene said the situation has now calmed down and security forces have arrived.

Officials said the attackers climbed the walls of the premises from three different directions.

The BBC understands the protesters were reacting to the recent alleged killing of a Libyan by a Russian woman.

"The group attacked the compound as an act of revenge," a security source told Reuters news agency.

Libya has been hit by many targeted killings of activists and security agents in recent months.

An attack last year on a US compound in the city of Benghazi killed four people, including the US ambassador.

In April, a car bomb outside the French embassy in Tripoli injured two French guards and a number of residents.