U.S. Embassy Under Attack As Man Opens Fire

A shooter fired rounds at the US embassy in Lebanon and was wounded during an exchange of fire with forces, according to the Lebanese army.

According to the army, the assailant, a Syrian national, was apprehended and sent to a hospital for treatment, while soldiers searched the area for further gunmen.

The US embassy stated a small weapons fire was recorded near its entrance in the morning, but the facility and staff were unharmed. According to diplomatic sources, US Ambassador Lisa Johnson is now travelling outside of Lebanon.

However, White House national security adviser, Jake Sullivan later confirmed to report says that a Lebanese guard was wounded and was receiving treatment.

The embassy said it would remain closed to the public for the rest of Wednesday but planned to be open for business as usual on Thursday, June 6.

Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said he was following up on the incident with the defence minister and security forces.

The US embassy lies north of Beirut in a highly secured zone with multiple checkpoints along the route to the entrance. It moved there from Beirut following a suicide attack in 1983 which killed more than 60 people.

Report says in September, shots were fired near the embassy with no injuries reported.

In mid-October, in the early days of the Gaza war, scores of protesters gathered outside the embassy to demonstrate. Lebanese security forces used tear gas and water cannons to repel them.

Lebanon has been the scene of conflict between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel since October in parallel to the Gaza war. Tens of thousands of people on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border have been uprooted amid fears that the war will escalate.

However, the United States has been making diplomatic efforts to ease violence along the border.