A man has set himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington DC, according to emergency services.

The incident happened at around 13:00 local time (18:00 GMT) on Sunday.

Officers from the US Secret Service extinguished the flames before the man was taken to hospital with critical, life-threatening injuries, the city's fire department reported.

The Washington police department is investigating alongside the Secret Service and other relevant authorities.

In a statement, the Israeli foreign ministry said the man was not known to embassy staff.

A bomb disposal unit was sent to the site over concerns about a suspicious vehicle that could have been connected to the individual.

This was later declared safe after no hazardous materials were found.

No embassy staff members were injured in the incident, a spokeswoman for the embassy told the New York Times.

It is not the first time someone has self-immolated in front of an Israeli diplomatic mission in the US.

In December, a protester set themselves on fire in front of the Israeli consulate in the US state of Georgia.

Police said the demonstrator used petrol, and a Palestinian flag was found at the scene on that occasion.

Source:
courtesy of BBC NEWS

by BBC NEWS

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