The Russian embassy in the Libyan capital Tripoli was attacked by unknown militants Wednesday, a source from the embassy said.Dozens of gunmen dressed in plain clothes fired at the Russian embassy in Tripoli with light arms, Xinhua reported citing the source. 

 

 The militants then set fire to the embassy buildings and tore off the Russian national flag, according to the source.There are no reports of injuries among the embassy staff as the situation was soon brought under control. It is believed that the Russian ambassador to Libya was not inside the diplomatic compound during the attack.

 

 According to nearby residents, the gunmen took away several people from the embassy. It was not immediately clear whether the hostages were Russian citizens or local people.The Russian foreign ministry issued a statement Wednesday to confirm the incident.

 

 "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," said the statement.The attack could be in retaliation to the assassination of a Libyan military officer earlier this week. A Russian female allegedly assassinated a Libyan military officer and injured his daughter, which prompted anger among Libyans.