Moldova attack: Two dead as man opens fire inside Chisinau airport

BBC

Two people have been killed after a man opened fire at Chisinau International Airport, the Moldovan Interior Ministry has said.

The gunman was wounded and detained, said police.

The interior ministry said the shooting had taken place after a foreign citizen was denied entry to the country.

“Authorities confirm two victims”, the interior ministry said. President Maia Sandu said the two dead were a border guard and an airport security official.

Unconfirmed reports said that the suspect was a Russian national who took hostages and holed himself up in a room. Videos from the scene showed passengers outside the airport on the grass, as the building was evacuated.

Flights in and out of Chisinau airport, which is the country’s largest, have been grounded.

Moldova has been on alert for months after President Sandu accused Russia of plotting to use foreign “saboteurs” to overthrow her pro-European Union government.

Her warning in February came after a group of Serbian football fans were barred from entering the country through Chisinau airport to attend a Uefa Conference League match.

Moldova has a population of 2.6 million people and became a candidate for EU membership last summer