The Lebanese Army has said that the US embassy in Beirut came under attack by Syrian man who opened gunfire “in the vicinity of the entrance.”
Soldiers shot and wounded the armed man who was identified as a Syrian national and he has is now in hospital.
The US embassy said the attack happened at 8.43 am local time and staff members are all safe.
A security source told Reuters a member of the security team at the US embassy was wounded in the attack, The Telegraph reported.
The US embassy said in a statement, “At 8.34am local time, small arms fire was reported in the vicinity of the entrance to the US 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.”
Another statement shared on social media read, “The US Embassy in Lebanon in the Awkar area was exposed to gunfire by a person holding Syrian nationality. Army members deployed in the area responded to the sources of fire, wounding the shooter.
“He was arrested and transferred to a hospital for treatment. Follow-up is underway to determine the circumstances of the incident.”
Tensions across the Middle East have dramatically risen and Israel is preparing for conflict with Lebanon following large scale attacks in northern Israel by Hezbollah on Tuesday.
War between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah could break out as the Iranian backed terror group fired some 40 rockets into Northern Israel on Tuesday.
The Lebanese group’s deputy chief, Sheikh Naim Qassem said Hezbollah “is ready for the battle and will not allow Israel to secure any victories.”
Sheikh Qassem added, “Any Israeli expansion of the war on Lebanon will be met with devastation, destruction and displacement in Israel.
“If Israel wants to fight an all-out war, we are ready for it.”
The popular Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported in Beirut on Tuesday that diplomatic messages have been received warning there will be an imminent attack from Israel.
Foreign delegations have raised alarms bells and Whitehall, London are expecting Israel to launch an attack in Lebanon, according to the Israeli newspaper Hayom.
The former Druze leader Walid Jumblatt who is also an ex-militia commander who led the Lebanese National Resistance Front and the Amal Movement during the Civil War, said that Qatar has also expressed their grave concerns over an Israeli attack by air and land.
The Israeli Defence Force warned on Sunday that they are preparing for “many scenarios” which simulates “the expansion of the war in the northern arena,” meaning Lebanon and they are training for “multi-front war scenarios.”
Hezbollah’s Secretary General Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said, “This battle concerns Palestine, but also concerns the future of Lebanon and its water and oil resources.
“This front is a support front that is part of the battle that will determine the fate of Palestine, Lebanon, and the region strategically.”
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