Gunfire Rings Out as US Embassy Comes Under Attack
A gunman opened fire at the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon on Wednesday morning, injuring a security guard before being shot.
Local media, as reported by the Associated Press, stated that the shooting lasted nearly thirty minutes.
Joe Abdo, who works at a gas station close to the American embassy, mentioned he heard "around 15 to 20 rounds of gunfire."
The shooter, identified as a Syrian national, was shot twice and then taken into custody by the Lebanese military, who transported him to a military hospital.
No motive has been provided.
After months of bombing Israel's civilians with no global response, Hezbollah Islamist terrorists of Lebanon have attacked the US Embassy in Beirut, injuring a staffer. Ignoring threats invites them closer. The world needs a strong America standing with its allies, not Biden’s… pic.twitter.com/XY0SrPEfvN
— Amjad Taha أمجد طه (@amjadt25) June 5, 2024
Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, said according to ABC, "All American personnel in Lebanon are safe and accounted for. One of our Lebanese local guard staff was wounded. He is receiving care."
Lebanese media shared images showing a bloodied man wearing a black vest with "Islamic State" in Arabic and the initials "I" and "S" in English, as reported by the AP.
CBS initially reported that there were indications of four attackers, but later updates confirmed that only one person was involved.
The U.S. Embassy stated that gunfire occurred near the entrance, but no embassy personnel were harmed.
"At 8:34 a.m. local time, small arms fire was reported in the vicinity of the entrance to the U.S. Embassy," the embassy announced in a statement.
"Thanks to the quick reaction of host country security forces and our Embassy security team, our facility and our team are safe. Investigations are underway and we are in close contact with host country law enforcement," the statement continued.
A gunman was shot and captured by Lebanese soldiers after attempting to attack the U.S. Embassy Wednesday, the Lebanese military said. https://t.co/C2chOrsjVl
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 5, 2024
The embassy was closed for the remainder of Wednesday but planned to reopen on Thursday.
"U.S. citizens should avoid travel to the Lebanon-Israel border area, the Lebanon-Syria border area, and refugee settlements. In all parts of Lebanon, you should avoid demonstrations and exercise caution if in the vicinity of any large gatherings or protests," the statement advised.
Lebanese officials responded to the incident, as reported by NBC.
"I condemn the attack that took place on the US Embassy in Beirut this morning," said Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib.
A State Department advisory warns against travel to Lebanon, where, according to NBC, Israel may be preparing a military response to recent Hezbollah attacks from Lebanon.