Syrian Man Arrested For Beirut Shooting Near US Embassy

A Syrian man was arrested after a shooting near the US embassy in Beirut on Wednesday, according to the Lebanese army, with the embassy confirming its personnel were safe.

The embassy, located in the northern suburb of Awkar, “was subjected to gunfire by a person holding Syrian nationality,” the army said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.

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Army personnel in the area responded to the shots, wounding the shooter and arresting him before transporting him to a hospital, the statement added. An investigation is underway.

The US embassy reported that small arms fire was heard near the entrance of the high-security mission at 8:34 am local time.

“Thanks to the quick reaction” of the Lebanese army, security forces, and the embassy’s security team, “our facility and our team are safe,” it said on X. The embassy added that investigations are ongoing and they are in close contact with local law enforcement.

In September last year, a gunman opened fire at the US embassy, causing no casualties. Lebanese police alleged the shooter was a delivery driver seeking revenge for perceived humiliation by security personnel.

That incident coincided with the anniversary of a deadly 1984 car bombing outside the US embassy annexe in Beirut, which the United States attributed to Hezbollah.

US diplomatic and military missions in Lebanon were attacked multiple times during the 1975-1990 civil war, with Islamist fundamentalists also taking several US hostages.

The embassy relocated to Awkar after a suicide attack in April 1983 that killed 63 people.