STOCKHOLM: The Swedish embassy in the Lebanese capital Beirut Thursday came under attack after a protester threw a Molotov cocktail at its building, which the local authorities said could be a reaction to dozens of Quran desecrations in the Scandinavian country.
“We confirm that there was a Molotov cocktail thrown at the facade of our embassy last evening, which did not explode,” according to AFP.
The “perpetrator managed to run away”, the AFP reported quoting a diplomatic source.
Tensions have flared between Sweden and Muslim countries following several protests involving public desecrations of the Quran in Stockholm — including setting pages alight.
Multi-confessional Lebanon saw protests at mosques, while the head of Hezbollah has called for the Swedish ambassador to be expelled.
Lebanese security forces had bolstered measures around the embassy in downtown Beirut for fear of attacks.
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said: “It was sheer luck that no one was injured in Wednesday’s attack and that staff were safe.”
“The incident is currently being investigated,” he said in a statement Thursday, noting that “Lebanese authorities have an obligation under the Vienna Convention to protect diplomatic missions.”
Late last month, two Iraqi men set a copy of the Quran alight outside the Swedish parliament in Stockholm, in an act similar to others in recent weeks that had drawn widespread condemnation.
Salwan Momika and Salwan Najem stomped on the Muslim holy book, and set its pages ablaze, as they did at a protest outside Stockholm’s main mosque in June.
The duo also staged a similar protest outside Iraq’s embassy in the Swedish capital on July 20, where they stomped on the religious text.
Iraqi protesters had stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad twice, starting fires within the compound on the second occasion.
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