Netherlands expels 17 Russian diplomats

The Dutch government has ordered the expulsion of 17 Russian diplomats suspected of being "intelligence officers," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced.

The Russian ambassador was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hague and informed of the decision on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The ministry said in a statement that the measure had been taken "in the context of national security."

The move followed information from the Dutch intelligence that the 17 diplomats were "secretly active as intelligence officers," it said.