Attacker was shot by soldiers in a shootout before being arrested and taken to hospital; embassy reports staff are “fine”.

A gunman who opened fire on the US embassy in Beirut was arrested after being injured in return fire.

The attack on the embassy on Wednesday morning was carried out by a Syrian national, according to the Lebanese military. The incident came amid heightened tensions across the region as Israel continues its war in Gaza.

The attacker, who was injured in a shootout with soldiers, was arrested and taken to hospital. The army said in a statement on X that the attacker was a Syrian national and that the incident was under investigation.

No further details were given, but a photo shared on social media shows a bloodied man wearing a vest with the Arabic word “Islamic State” and the English initials “I” and “S.”

Reporting from outside the embassy, ​​Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr noted a “heavy security presence” of the Lebanese army, saying people were not allowed to enter the embassy grounds.

The embassy, ​​located in the northern suburb of Awkar, said “small arms fire” was reported “near the entrance” of the building at 8:34 a.m. (05.34 GMT), adding that embassy staff were “safe.”

At 8:34 a.m. local time, small arms fire was reported near the entrance to the U.S. Embassy. Thanks to the quick response of the LAF, ISF and our Embassy Security Team, our facility and team are safe. The investigation is ongoing and we are in close contact…

— US Embassy Beirut (@usembassybeirut) June 5, 2024

Local media reported that the shooting lasted nearly half an hour, with a member of the embassy's security team wounded while the army searched the area for other possible attackers, a security source told Reuters.

Lebanese security sources have indicated that the arrested attacker may not have acted alone, Khodr said. Authorities believe that up to four other gunmen were involved in the attack.

Fury

The embassy is located north of Beirut in a heavily guarded zone with several checkpoints along the access road. It was relocated there after a suicide bombing in 1983 that killed 63 people.

Since the Gaza war began in October, there has been great tension in Lebanon. The Iran-linked armed group Hezbollah has been engaged in mutual attacks with Israel across the country's southern border.

In September last year, a gunman opened fire on the US embassy without causing any injuries. Lebanese police said at the time that the attacker was a delivery driver seeking revenge for what they felt was humiliation at the hands of security personnel.

The shooting coincided with the anniversary of a deadly September 1984 car bombing outside the annex to the US embassy in Beirut that killed at least 20 people and which the US blamed on Hezbollah.

In October last year Protesters gathered At the beginning of the Gaza war, demonstrators gathered in front of the embassy and were repelled by Lebanese security forces with tear gas and water cannons.

Smaller conflicts also occur in Syria and Yemen between groups linked to Iran and the Israeli armed forces.

“It is too early to say [what were] the motives behind the attacks. There is no announcement of guilt,” Khodr said.

“Since the war in Gaza in October, we have seen violent protests in this area, with people trying to get through to the embassy and venting their anger at the US government,” the correspondent noted.