ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – The Israeli ambassador to Ethiopia was found shot in the head in his apartment Wednesday in what appeared to be a suicide attempt, an official said.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that the ambassador was gravely wounded in a shooting at his home and said it did not appear to be a "terrorist" attack.
The ministry said it was still investigating the incident, and was trying to return the ambassador, Doron Grossman (search), from the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa (search).
An official in Addis with detailed knowledge about the incident, who asked not to be named, said embassy staff went to the ambassadors residence in a hotel apartment after he did not show up for work Wednesday morning. He was found inside with a bullet wound to the head, but still alive.
The official said he understood it was an apparent suicide attempt, but had no details.
Grossman's term in Ethiopia was due to end this week and he was expected to become the next ambassador to South Africa (search), the official added. He was described as single and in his 50s.
A ministry statement said that senior officials had been sent to investigate the shooting and efforts were being made to bring Grossman back to Israel for medical treatment.
Bombings, assassinations and kidnappings against Israeli embassies and diplomats were frequent in the 1970s and '80s, but fell sharply during the '90s.
A bombing attack on Israel's embassy in Uzbekistan (search) last year, in which two Uzbek security guards were killed, raised fears that attacks could shift to Israel missions abroad as security was tightened at home.
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