Two dead in shooting at Moldova airport

Gunman is said to be a foreign national who was denied entry into the country
At least two people are dead after a gunman opened fire at the main airport of Moldova's capital Chisinau (File picture)
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At least two people are dead after a gunman opened fire at the main airport of Moldova's capital Chisinau, the country’s interior ministry said.

The shooter, said to be a foreign national, fatally shot two people after being denied entry into the country.

As the perpetrator was being escorted by officials at Chisinau International Airport, the individual “took the gun of a border guard” and fatally wounded the two people, authorities said.

“At this moment the danger has been eliminated. The aggressor was wounded and is being treated,” police said on Facebook.

Flights were delayed, but police said they would resume. All passengers were evacuated from the airport.

A police source told Reuters that the shooter had flown in from Turkey and used a firearm against border guards.

Moldova, which gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, has a population of 2.6 million and is pushing to join the European Union. It lies between Romania and Ukraine.

The country has been heavily exposed to fighting in Ukraine, with tensions simmering in the pro-Russian breakaway region of Transnistria.

President Sandu offeried condolences to the families of those killed, calling it “a sad day for all of us”.

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