1 killed, 2 injured in attack on Azerbaijan embassy in Tehran

Jan. 27 (UPI) -- An armed attack on the Azerbaijan embassy in Iran killed the head of the security service and injured two guards, the Azerbaijani government said in a statement Friday.

The attack happened around 8:30 a.m. Azerbaijan time, the nation's ministry of foreign affairs said.

"The attacker destroyed the guard post with a Kalashnikov automatic weapon and killed the head of the security service," the Azerbaijani statement said. "Two security guards of the embassy were also injured while preventing the attack. Their condition is satisfactory."

Azerbaijan President Ilham Allyev condemned the attack on Twitter.

"I fiercely condemn the terrorist attack perpetrated today against our embassy in Tehran today," he wrote. "I convey my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of First Lieutenant Orkhan Rizvan oglu Asgarov, who lost his life defending the embassy and staff."

Allyev said that terror against diplomatic missions is unacceptable and demanded that the attack be swiftly investigated "and the terrorists punished."

An investigation is underway.

Local police arrested a suspect, the BBC reported.

Tehran police chief General Hossein Rahimi told Iranian state-owned news the attack may have been over "personal issues."

He said the attacker is reportedly an Azeri citizen who claims his wife has been held at the embassy for nine months. Rahimi said the man had been waiting outside the embassy before using his car to hit a diplomatic vehicle and then started firing with an AK-47 rifle.