NPR News

A gunman was captured after a shootout near the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon

By The Associated Press

Published June 5, 2024 at 3:11 AM CDT

Lebanese special forces patrol on a road that leads to the U.S. Embassy in Aukar, a northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. A gunman was captured by Lebanese soldiers after attempting to attack the U.S. Embassy near Beirut on Wednesday, the military said.

Updated June 05, 2024 at 06:19 AM ET

BEIRUT — A gunman was shot and captured by Lebanese soldiers after a shootout outside the U.S. Embassy outside Beirut on Wednesday morning, the military said.

The attack took place as tensions continued to simmer in the tiny Mediterranean country, where months of fighting between Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops has displaced thousands along the border, following years of political deadlock and economic hardship.

The Lebanese military in a statement said that soldiers shot an assailant, who they only described as a Syrian national. The gunman was wounded and taken to a hospital.

The shooter's motives were not clear. However, Lebanese media have published photos that appear to show a bloodied attacker wearing a black vest with the words "Islamic State" written in Arabic and the English initials "I" and "S."

Local media reported that there was a gunfight involving at least one attacker lasting almost half an hour. A video that surfaced on social media showed a gunman in a parking lot across the embassy's entrance shooting with what appears to be an assault rifle.

The U.S. Embassy said the attack by the embassy's entrance did not cause any casualties among their staff, and that Lebanese troops and embassy security mobilized quickly.

A statement from Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati's office said that he was informed following meetings with the defense minister and army commander that the situation was now stable and that serious investigations are underway.

The Lebanese military said it deployed troops around the embassy and surrounding areas.

In 1983, a deadly bombing attack on the U.S. Embassy in Beirut killed 63 people. U.S. officials blame the attack on the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Following that attack, the embassy was moved from central Beirut to the Christian suburb of Aukar, north of the capital. Another bomb attack struck the new location on Sept. 20, 1984.

In September 2023, Lebanese security forces detained a Lebanese man who opened fire by the U.S. Embassy. There were no casualties in that attack.