A Syrian gunman opened fire on the US embassy north of Beirut, the Lebanese army said.
Soldiers shot and wounded the attacker, identified only as a Syrian citizen, according to a statement posted online. The shooter has already been taken to the hospital.
The US embassy said the attack, which occurred on Wednesday morning at around 8:34 a.m. local time, occurred “in close proximity to the entrance,” although the facility and staff remain secure.
“Investigations are ongoing and we are in close contact with host country authorities,” the US embassy said in a statement.
Lebanese army units were positioned in the area around the embassy.
Local media reported sounds of gunfire, while roads leading to the embassy are now closed.
A security source told Reuters that a member of the embassy’s security team was injured in the attack and that the Lebanese army also injured one of the attackers. The Lebanese military is reportedly searching the surrounding area to arrest any other attackers.
It remains unclear what the alleged shooter’s motive was, although the shooting occurred at an unusually high level. tense period in the Middle East region.
The US has been heavily criticized for its support of Israel in the war with Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist group.
The Israeli military offensive against Hamas has raised the death toll to more than 36,000 in eight brutal months of fighting in the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory.
Ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire have not yet been successful and are at an impasse.
Fears are growing that the Israeli military will launch a significant attack on Lebanon, where another militant group, Hezbollah, is based.
Hezbollah has been involved in skirmishes with the Israeli army along the shared – and disputed – Israel-Lebanon border.
Like Hamas, Hezbollah is supported by Will – Israel’s long-time regional rival.
Although Hezbollah has indicated that it does not want to escalate to an all-out war with Israel, the group has continued to pressure Israel with smaller attacks as a way of showing support for Hamas and distracting Israel from enhancing its full capabilities in Gaza.
The US embassy in Lebanon was attacked last September, when a Lebanese man opened fire on the premises, but there were no casualties.
The following monthHundreds of people protesting against the current war in Gaza clashed with Lebanese security forces.
The US embassy in Lebanon is located in Aukar, north of the Lebanese capital Beirut, having moved there after a deadly 1983 bomb attack that killed more than 60 people. US officials blamed Hezbollah for the attack.
Another bomb attack hit the new embassy site at Aukar the following year.
