The Lebanese Army cordoned off the area around the US embassy in Awkar on Wednesday morning after it came under a gunfire attack by three assailants. One of the attackers was injured and taken to hospital.
The Army said in a communique that “the embassy was attacked with gunfire and that Army members deployed in the area responded to the sources of fire, wounding the shooter.”
The statement identified the assailant as a Syrian national. He was arrested and transferred to a hospital for treatment.
The army statement added: “The army units deployed in the vicinity of the US Embassy in Awkar are conducting an inspection of the surrounding area, and are working to implement the necessary security measures to maintain the security of the area.”
The US embassy also issued a statement confirming the attack that lasted for approximately half an hour.
“At 8:34 a.m. local time, small arms fire was reported in the vicinity of the entrance to the U.S. Embassy. Thanks to the quick reaction of the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Internal Security Forces, our Embassy security team, our facility and our team are safe,” the statement on X read
It added, “investigations are underway and we are in close contact with the host country’s law enforcement.”
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The #USEmbassy in #Awkar Came Under Gunfire Wednesday. One of Three Assailants Arrested: Initial Reports pic.twitter.com/0Bn5tL6h9Y— This is Beirut (@ThisIsBeirut_) June 5, 2024
