The Lebanese army announced on Wednesday that a gunman attempted to attack the U.S. embassy situated near Beirut. In a statement, the Lebanese military declared that soldiers confronted and shot an assailant who was identified solely as a Syrian national. The gunman sustained injuries and was subsequently transported to a medical facility. According to local media, there was a gunfight that transpired for approximately half an hour adjacent to the U.S. diplomatic mission in the suburb of Aukar, situated north of Beirut. The U.S. Embassy confirmed that the morning attack at the embassy’s entrance did not result in any casualties among their staff. Lebanese troops and embassy security personnel promptly mobilized. The Lebanese military stated that they have deployed troops in and around the embassy premises as well as neighboring areas. It is noteworthy that in 1983, a devastating bombing assault on the U.S. Embassy in Beirut claimed the lives of 63 individuals. U.S. authorities attribute the attack to Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant organization. Following that attack, the embassy was moved from central Beirut to the predominantly Christian suburb of Aukar, which is located north of the capital. The new embassy site was targeted by another bomb attack on September 20, 1984. In September 2023, Lebanese security forces apprehended a Lebanese male who opened fire in the vicinity of the U.S. Embassy. That incident did not result in any casualties. Later in October 2023, hundreds of protestors engaged in confrontations with Lebanese security forces during demonstrations organized near the U.S. Embassy to express support for the people of Gaza and the militant group Hamas in their conflict with Israel.
