Syrian man arrested after shooting near US embassy in Beirut: army

A Syrian man was arrested after a shooting Wednesday near the US embassy in Beirut, the Lebanese army said, with the diplomatic mission saying its personnel were safe.

The embassy, in the northern suburb of Awkar, "was subjected to gunfire by a person holding Syrian nationality", the army said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.

"Army personnel deployed in the area responded to the sources of fire, wounding the shooter," the statement said, adding that "he was arrested and transported to hospital".

The army said it was investigating the incident as Lebanese media reported that two people were injured, including the shooter who had been arrested and hospitalised.

 A military spokesperson told L'Orient-Le Jour that a second person was injured in the shooting, ​​adding that the army had deployed patrols in the area to carry out inspections and take measures to "ensure security".

An army source told the French language daily that three suspects were involved in the incident, and two remain at large.

The US embassy said that "at 8:34 am local time small arms fire was reported in the vicinity of the entrance" to the high-security mission.

"Thanks to the quick reaction" of the Lebanese army, security forces "and our Embassy security team, our facility and our team are safe" it said on X.

It added that "investigations are underway and we are in close contact with host country law enforcement".

In September last year, a gunman opened fire at the US embassy, without causing casualties.

Lebanese police alleged the shooter was a delivery driver seeking revenge for his perceived humiliation by security personnel.

That shooting coincided with the anniversary of a deadly 1984 car bombing outside the US embassy annexe in Beirut, which the United States blamed on the Iran-backed Hezbollah.

US diplomatic and military missions in Lebanon were attacked on a number of occasions during the 1975-1990 civil war when fighters also took several US captives.

The embassy relocated to Awkar after it was struck by a suicide attack in April 1983 that killed 63 people.