Gunmen have attacked the Russian embassy in Libya, according to the Russian foreign ministry.  The unidentified men shot at the Tripoli compound and tried to force their way in. said officials.

According to source, the situation has now calmed down, and embassy staff are thought to have escaped the building unharmed.

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

Libyan security sources told news agencies that the incident did not appear to have been orchestrated by a militant group.

It was gathered that local people were angry because of the recent alleged killing of a Libyan by a Russian woman, so the group may attacked the compound as an act of revenge, sources said.

In recent development, 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.