Lebanon, armed group shoots near the American embassy

Lebanon, armed group shoots near the American embassy

Gunfire near the US embassy in Lebanon. The Lebanese army says a gunman attempted to attack the US embassy in Beirut, adding that soldiers shot the attacker, who was injured and taken to hospital. The man was described only as a Syrian national.

Local media reported that there was a firefight for almost half an hour near the US diplomatic mission, which is located in a northern Beirut suburb, Awkar. The US Embassy said the attack on the embassy entrance caused no casualties among staff members and that Lebanese soldiers and embassy security mobilized quickly. The Lebanese army said it had deployed soldiers around the embassy and surrounding areas.

In 1983 a car bomb attack on the US embassy in Beirut caused the deaths of 63 people. US authorities attributed the attack to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Following that attack, the embassy was moved from central Beirut to the Christian suburb of Awkar, north of the capital. Another attack hit the new headquarters on September 20, 1984. In September 2023, Lebanese security forces arrested a Lebanese man who had opened fire near the US embassy. There were no casualties in that attack.