Gunman attacks US embassy in Lebanon

A man has been detained after firing shots at the US embassy compound in Beirut, the Lebanese military has said.

The attacker was shot by troops guarding the embassy and taken to hospital, the military said in a statement on Wednesday, describing the assailant as “a Syrian national.”

Saudi broadcaster Al Hadath reported that the gunman has links with the terrorist group Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL).

According to the local media, the gunfight outside the embassy lasted for around half an hour. Multiple shots can be heard in a video clip, allegedly made in the area at the time of the attack.

The US embassy confirmed in a statement that small arms fire was reported near the entrance to the compound at 8:34am local time. “Thanks to the quick reaction of the LAF (Lebanese Armed Forces), ISF (Internal Security Forces), and our Embassy security team, our facility and our team are safe,” it said.

The Lebanese military said it has deployed additional troops outside the embassy in the surrounding area following the incident.

The US diplomatic mission in Beirut suffered a major terrorist attack on April 18, 1983. A suicide bomber detonated an explosive-laden van inside the compound, killing 63 people, including 17 Americans. The attack took place in the wake of an intervention by the US and other Western powers in Lebanon’s civil war.