Russian embassy in Libya attacked

A group of about 60 people attacked the Russian embassy in the Libyan capital Tripoli Wednesday night.

Officials said the attackers approached the embassy and tried to enter the building, but security guards fired shots to disperse the crowd.

One security force member explains.

(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SECURITY FORCE MEMBER, ADEL AL BADNONI, SAYING:

"We arrived here when we got the information that gunmen in armed vehicles came here with fishing explosives or what known as hand grenades and Kalashnikovs, they opened fire on the embassy and the embassy's security fired back."

The attack was symptomatic of volatility in the country in two years since Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown by Western forces.

Although Russia played no part in the overthrow and in fact condemned the action.