North Korea claims raid on its Spanish Embassy in Madrid was a terrorist attack

A BREAK-IN at the North Korean embassy in Madrid last month, during which employees were reportedly held hostage and robbed, was “a grave terrorist attack” a representative from North Korea’s foreign ministry said today (Sunday) in its first official comment on the incident.

The representative also called for an investigation and said North Korea was closely monitoring speculation the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and an anti-North Korea group were behind the raid on February 22.

However, North Korea refused to blame Washington directly and urged Spanish authorities to conduct the investigation in a responsible manner.

The North’s state-run KCNA news agency quoted the representative as saying that “we will wait for the result in patience”.

During the assault on the embassy, an armed group pf 10 suspects allegedly bound, beat and tortured staff members and stole mobile phones, pen drives, computers and hard drives.

International arrest warrants have been issued for a number of suspects.

According to international press reports, a “mysterious organisation” that describes itself as a dissident group dedicated to toppling North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un’s regime in Pyongyang has since claimed responsibility.

The group, known as Cheollima Civil Defence or Free Joseon, reportedly claimed on its website that its action at the embassy had not been “an attack,” that no one had been beaten and that no weapons had been used.