In a suspected terrorist attack in Moldova, a Tajikistan national allegedly seized a weapon and shot dead two security officers at the Chisinau International Airport on Friday after he was denied entry into the country, while a passenger was injured in the shooting, according to officials.

The accused had seized a border guard’s gun while he was being escorted by officials at the airport, and opened fire at security personnel. He was then seriously injured when special forces intervened to subdue and handcuff him, reported AP.

The officers killed in the shootout were a border police officer and an airport security official, said Moldovia’s President Maia Sandu.

“We send our sincere condolences to the bereaved families and relatives – the loss of loved ones is an immense pain for families. It’s a sad day for all of us,” she said in a statement on Facebook.

In a statement, Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Reccan informed that the shooter belonged from Tajikistan, and that the wounded passenger was being treated by doctors.

The incident is being investigated as a possible terrorist attack, said Moldova’s acting Prosecutor General Ion Munteanu. All civilians were evacuated from the airport after the shooting occurred.

Meanwhile, state institutions and law enforcement agencies have been put on high alert after the incident at the airport, said Sandu.

Moldova has been facing a series of crises since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, including anti-government protests by a pro-Russian political party.

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