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Lebanese army: A gunman fired on the US embassy

2024-06-05 12:58:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

A gunman was captured by Lebanese soldiers after he tried to attack the US embassy in Lebanon on Wednesday.

The attack comes as tensions simmer in the small Mediterranean country, where months of fighting between Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops have displaced thousands of residents along the border.

The Lebanese army said in a statement that soldiers shot dead an attacker, who was said to be a Syrian national. The gunman was injured and taken to hospital.

The motive for the attack is still unknown, but Lebanese media released pictures 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".

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

A Lebanese security official told the Associated Press news agency that there were four attackers, three of whom opened fire. One attacker was killed, one escaped and the third was wounded and arrested by the Lebanese army, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The US embassy said there were no casualties during the morning attack at the embassy entrance.

In a statement from the office of acting Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, he was informed after meetings with the defense minister and the army commander that the situation is now stable and serious investigations are underway.

The Lebanese army said it deployed additional troops around the embassy and nearby areas.

In 1983, a deadly bombing of the American embassy in Beirut left 63 dead. US officials blamed the attack on the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. After that attack, the embassy was moved from central Beirut to the Christian neighborhood of Aukar, north of the capital.

In September 2023, Lebanese security forces arrested a Lebanese man who opened fire near the US embassy. The attack passed without harm to people.

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