A terrorist wearing a shirt with “ISIS” and “Islamic State” printed on it was shot by security personnel after he discharged an unknown type of firearm towards the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon Wednesday morning.
"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 LAF, ISF, 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.," an embassy representative said on X.
One of the U.S. guards was reported to have suffered injuries during the 30-minute altercation.
The Lebanese Army identified the alleged perpetrator as a Syrian national, who was taken into custody and hospitalized after the incident.
In an additional statement, Lebanon’s military confirmed that they had arrested five individuals that they believed were associated with the gunman after they raided homes in Majdal Anjar and Suweiri.
Diplomatic sources told Reuters that the ambassador, Lisa Johnson, was not in the country at the time of the occurrence.
The embassy announced a closure for the remainder of the day, and normal operations were expected to resume on Thursday.
