US embassy in Lebanon is attacked by gunman after Netanyahu threatened to attack the country
An attack on the US embassy in Lebanon was foiled after a Syrian man opened fire and was captured.
The man was arrested on Wednesday after the shooting near the US embassy in Beirut, the Lebanese army said, while the embassy said its staff were safe.
The embassy, in the northern suburb of Awkar, “was subjected to gunfire by a person of Syrian nationality.” the military said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.
“Army personnel deployed to the area responded to the sources of fire and injured the gunman,” the statement said, adding that “he was arrested and transported to hospital.”
The attack came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel was “prepared for very intense action in the north” during a visit to a border town hit by Hezbollah rockets.
Lebanese security forces stand guard on Wednesday on a road leading to the US embassy in Aukar, a northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon
The US embassy said “at 8:34 am (0534 GMT)… gunfire was reported near the entrance.”
“Thanks to the quick response” of the Lebanese army, security forces “and our embassy security team, our facility and team are safe,” X read.
It added that “investigations are ongoing and we are in close contact with host country law enforcement.”
The Lebanese army said it was investigating the shooting.
Lebanese special forces sit in their vehicle as they patrol a road leading to the US embassy in Auka
An AFP photographer said access to the area around the embassy was closed while there was a heavy army deployment in the area.
In images posted on social media, a man can be heard saying in Arabic, “There is an attack on the embassy,” as gunshots ring out in the background.
A judicial source told AFP that security forces were searching wooded areas near the embassy for any accomplices, adding that the gunman’s injuries were “serious.”
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati spoke to an army and security official who assured him that “the situation is under control,” according to a statement from his office.
A general view of part of the US Embassy grounds in Aukar, a northern suburb of Beirut
“An investigation is underway to determine the circumstances of the incident and arrest all those involved,” the statement said, adding that US Ambassador Lisa Johnson was currently outside Lebanon.
In September last year, a gunman opened fire on the US embassy, causing no casualties.
Lebanese police claimed the gunman was a delivery driver seeking revenge for his alleged humiliation by security personnel.
That shooting coincided with the anniversary of a deadly 1984 car bombing outside the U.S. Embassy annex in Beirut, which the United States blamed on the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah.
US diplomatic and military missions in Lebanon were attacked a number of times during the 1975-1990 civil war, when hardline Islamists also took several American hostages.
The embassy moved to Awkar after it was hit by a suicide bombing in April 1983 that killed 63 people.
