CONFLICTSLEBANON
Lebanon: Shots fired at US Embassy in Beirut
1 hour ago1 hour ago
One assailant has been hospitalized after being shot and wounded by the Lebanese army. The embassy said no staff were harmed in the incident.
https://p.dw.com/p/4geYg
Three, armed Lebanese soldier seen on a street near a wall with palm trees in the background
The Lebanese army injured a Syrian national in the attack and is investigating the incidentImage: Bilal Hussein/AP/dpa/picture alliance
The Lebanese army said it had shot and injured a Syrian man who attempted to attack the US Embassy in Beirut on Wednesday morning.
Local media reported that the attempted attack and the ensuing gun battle with the army lasted nearly 30 minutes.
The embassy released a statement on X, formerly Twitter, acknowledging the attack and that the situation had ended, noting that an investigation was underway.
The Lebanese army said it had shot and wounded the gunman.
“Army personnel deployed in the area responded to the sources of fire, wounding the shooter,” the statement said, adding that “he was arrested and transported to hospital”.
The attack occurred at the entrance of the facility located in the northern Beirut suburb of Aukur.
“Army units deployed around the US Embassy in Awkar are conducting an inspection of the surrounding area and working to implement the necessary security measures to maintain the security of the area,” read a Lebanese army post on the incident.
The US diplomatic mission in Beirut has come under attack a number of times over the past several decades, the deadliest of these incidents killed 63 people in 1983.
Lebanese soldiers and police seen near the US Embassy in BeirutLebanese soldiers and police seen near the US Embassy in Beirut
Lebanese army units remain deployed around the US Embassy in AukarImage: Joseph Eid/AFP
js/ab (AP, Reuters)
