A Syrian man was arrested after a shooting near the US embassy in Beirut during an attempted attack, reported the Lebanese army.
The US embassy confirmed that all its personnel were safe.
The attack took place amid rising tensions between the Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops which has been going on for months. The conflict has displaced thousands along the border and created years of political stagnation as well as economic hardship.
The embassy, which is situated in the north suburban area of Awkar, was assaulted with gunfire by a person of Syrian nationality, claims the Lebanese army on X, formerly twitter.
They further claimed that the army personnel deployed in the area responded to the gunfire and they opened fire, wounding one of the shooters. Adding to that, they said that the shooter was arrested afterwards and transported to the hospital.
The Lebanese army is currently investigating the incident.
The attack
The US embassy said that small arms fire was reported around the entrance to the premises at 8:34 am local time. They further said on X that the facility was safe due to the “quick reaction” of the Lebanese army and the Embassy security team.
The shooters’ motives have not been confirmed at this moment in time.
The Lebanese media have published images that appear to portray a bloodied attacker wearing a black vest with writing on it. The words appear to be “Islamic State” written in Arabic followed by the initials “I” and “S” in English.
Local media also reported the duration of the ensuing gunfight to be around half an hour.
A Lebanese security official, speaking to The Associated Press, said that there were four suspected assailants. One, who drove the other three to the site with the rest being the ones who opened fire.
One of the assailants was killed, another escaped, while the third was wounded and arrested by the military. The official speaking declined to be identified and spoke anonymously due to them not being cleared to speak to the press.
The Aftermath
The US embassy was largely unaffected by the assault. Furthermore, they praised the mobilization of their security detail which ensured that there were no casualties.
A statement was made by Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s office that he was conducting meetings with the defense minister as well as the army commander and the situation was now stable. Serious investigations were underway, they claimed.
The military claimed that it had deployed its troops in the region surrounding the embassy and surrounding areas. This precaution will be maintained for the foreseeable future with a palpable tension throughout the country due to the ongoing conflict.
This attack comes as a reminder to 1983, when a disastrous bombing attack in the US Embassy in Beirut killed 63 people. The US blames the attack on the members of the militant group Hezbollah.
After the attack, the embassy was shifted from the central region of Beirut to its new location in the Christian suburb of Awkar in the north. This location too faced a bombing attack on september 20, 1984.
Far recently, in September 2023, Lebanese security forces once again detained a Lebanese man who opened fire near the US Embassy. There were zero casualties due to that attack.
Soon after in October 2023, hundreds of protestors clashed with security forces during demonstrations near the Embassy while they protested the US’s role in the war in Gaza. They protested in support of the people of Gaza and the Palestinian militant group Hamas against their conflict with Israel.
Despite the repetitive conflicts and attacks on the premises, the Embassy has somehow managed to survive in its new location till today.
