Official: Gunmen shoot at US consulate in Mexico

MONTERREY, Mexico

Monday, 13 October 2008 07:16:31

By MARK WALSH - Associated Press Writer

Assailants opened fire on the U.S. consulate in the northern Mexican city of Monterrey, a Mexican official said.

Nobody was injured in Sunday's shooting. Shell casings were found outside the consulate, but there were no witnesses to the attack and no one was in custody, said a spokeswoman for the Attorney General's office who was not authorized to give her name.

The spokeswoman had no further details.

Mexican media reported that one man opened fire on the consulate and another man threw a grenade that failed to explode. El Universal newspaper, citing a U.S. Embassy statement, said the attack happened before dawn Sunday. The newspaper said the consulate planned to increase security.

Embassy officials could not be reached for comment early Monday.

Also Sunday, two grenades were thrown at the state Public Safety office in the western city of Guadalajara. Genaro Pacheco, the Public Safety spokesman, said the explosion injured two civilians outside the offices but guards inside were unharmed.

The explosion shattered windows of the office, a furniture store across the street and an empty passenger bus.

It was the second grenade attack against the Public Safety office in less than six months. The first attack killed a policeman and injured another in June. Four former soldiers were arrested in the June attack.