The U.S. Embassy in Beirut said Wednesday its staff and facility were safe after gunfire was reported near the embassy entrance.
Lebanon’s army said a gunman fired shots at the embassy and that Lebanese troops returned fire. The shootout injured an embassy security guard. The gunfight lasted almost a half hour, according to local media. There appeared to be only one attacker.
The army said the suspect, a Syrian national, was wounded in the exchange and taken to a hospital. A Lebanese security official and two judicial officials said the suspect is a resident of Majdal Anjar, a Lebanese border town close to Syria.
“Investigations are under way, and we are in close contact with host country law enforcement,” the embassy said on social media.
According to a judicial official, the gunman attacked the embassy “in support of Gaza.”
The military reportedly raided Majdal Anjar and nearby Suweiri, and has detained relatives of the suspect. The military has not found other gunmen or an extremist cell, according to officials.
“An investigation is under way to determine the circumstances of the incident and arrest all those involved,” said a statement from Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati. The statement also said that U.S. Ambassador Lisa Johnson was currently outside Lebanon.
Months of fighting between Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants have displaced thousands of people along the border.
Last September, Lebanese security forces detained a Lebanese man who opened fire on the U.S. Embassy. No casualties were reported in that attack. A month later, hundreds of protesters demonstrated near the embassy in support of Palestinians in Gaza and the militant group Hamas in its war with Israel.
Some information for this report was provided by Agence France-Presse, The Associated Press and Reuters.
