Belarus claims diplomat hurt in ‘attack’ on London embassy

LONDON (AP) — The government of Belarus says it has summoned a British diplomat in protest after its embassy in London was “attacked” and a diplomat injured. The Belarus Foreign Ministry said in a statement Monday that a group of people smeared the facade of the embassy building and then physically assaulted Belarusian diplomats who arrived at the scene. It said one of the diplomats sustained a broken nose, a concussion and a broken tooth. The government said it had summoned a British envoy in Minsk to demand those responsible be brought to justice. London’s Metropolitan Police force had no immediate information on the alleged incident. Belarus’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko has unleashed a sweeping crackdown on opponents since an August 2020 election.