Turkish Embassy in Moscow targeted in gun attack

Nerdun HACIOĞLU MOSCOW

An attacker opened fire with a rifle on the Turkish Embassy in Moscow early Aug. 18, but no casualties were reported.

The man shot at the signboard on the embassy building after parking his car on the street in the morning hours.

Russian police officers guarding the embassy immediately captured the man and took him to a police station for questioning. The attacker has been identified as 46-year-old Arthur Mirzoyan, an Armenian-origin man who owns a timber company.

Mirzoyan reportedly refused to explain his motive for the attack, but police put emphasis on the tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan as a possible motive.

Officals from the embassy speaking to daily Hürriyet confirmed the incident, reporting that no injuries or casualties were sustained in the assault.