Syrian gunman attacks US embassy near Beirut

The Lebanese army has said a gunman attempted to attack the US embassy near Beirut.

The military said that soldiers shot and injured an assailant, who they only described as a Syrian national. The gunman was taken to hospital.

Local media reported that there was a gunfight for almost half an hour near the US diplomatic mission in the suburb of Aukar, north of Beirut.

The US embassy said in an initial statement that all of its staff were “safe” following the attack near the entrance to the sprawling diplomatic compound, and that Lebanese troops and embassy security mobilised quickly.

An embassy spokesperson later said in a statement that one embassy security guard was injured in the attack.

The Lebanese military said it deployed troops around the embassy and surrounding areas.

The attacker’s motives were not clear. However, Lebanese media have published photos that appear to show a bloodied attacker wearing a black vest with the words “Islamic State” written in Arabic and the English initials “I” and “S”.

The so-called Islamic State has not claimed the attack, nor has any other group.

Local media reported that there was a gunfight involving at least one attacker lasting almost half an hour. A video that surfaced on social media showed a gunman in a car park across the embassy’s entrance, taking shots with what appears to be an assault rifle.

In 1983, a deadly bombing attack on the US embassy in Beirut killed 63 people. US officials blame the attack on the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Following that attack, the embassy was moved from central Beirut to the Christian suburb of Aukar, north of the capital. Another bomb attack struck the new location on September 20 1984.

In September 2023, Lebanese security forces detained a Lebanese man who opened fire by the US embassy. There were no casualties in that attack.

In October 2023, hundreds of protesters clashed with Lebanese security forces in demonstrations near the US embassy in support of Gaza’s people and the militant group Hamas in its war with Israel.