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Man dies after tossing grenade at U.S. Embassy in Montenegro

By Ray Downs and Susan McFarland
Police guard the entrance to the U.S. embassy building in Podgorica, Montenegro, on Thursday after a man threw an explosive device over the compound wall and blew himself up outside the building. Photo by Boris Pejovic/EPA-EFE
Police guard the entrance to the U.S. embassy building in Podgorica, Montenegro, on Thursday after a man threw an explosive device over the compound wall and blew himself up outside the building. Photo by Boris Pejovic/EPA-EFE

Feb. 22 (UPI) -- A man attempted to throw a grenade into the U.S. Embassy in Montenegro on Thursday but ended up killing himself, government officials confirmed.

No other people were injured in the attack. The embassy was closed at the time of the blast.

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The government of Montenegro said the incident occurred at 12:30 a.m., when a man who wasn't immediately identified threw an object into the embassy compound that was "most probably" a hand grenade.

Although the Montenegro government said the man "committed suicide," Steve Goldstein, the U.S. State Department's under secretary for public diplomacy and public affairs, said the agency wasn't certain the incident was meant to be a suicide attack.

"At this time, Embassy officials are working closely with police to identify the assailant(s)," tweeted State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert.

Police officials told reporters the dead man was a 43-year-old Serbian man living in Podgorica. The man was also named by Montenegro's daily paper, Vijesti.

The government of Montenegro condemned the attack on Twitter.

"This will not and cannot undermine the high level of safety and security of diplomatic missions or overall security situation in Montenegro," it said.

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