The Lebanese army deployed near the American embassy in Beirut on June 5, 2024, after a shooting near the chancellery. (Credit: Joseph Eid/AFP)
A Syrian man opened fire on the American embassy in Lebanon on Wednesday, where he was then injured and arrested by the Lebanese Army. The shooter claimed he had acted in support of the people of Gaza.
The U.S. Embassy, located in a secure complex in Awkar, assured that all its staff were safe, however one of its Lebanese employees was slightly wounded in his eye. While security sources refused to speculate on the suspect's motivations, a photo circulating online, purporting to be of the alleged shooter, shows him wearing a bullet-proof vest with Islamic State group insignia. L'Orient Today was unable to verify the authenticity of the photo.
The context and timing of the attack are significant, as it comes during the escalating conflict between Hezbollah and Israel along the border. In this light, many are wondering if this attack is being used by some parties to send a message to the Americans. The message would be clear: Your interests will not be safe if you give Israel the green light to declare open war on Lebanon.
Furthermore, the attack happened just days before the head of the Lebanese Army, General Joseph Aoun, is set to visit Washington. This is particularly significant as Aoun is known to be an ally of the U.S.
The attack may also serve as a message to Aoun. Despite his impending responsibility for implementing UN Resolution 1701 and overseeing the agreement along the southern border, the attack makes him appear as unable to safeguard the American embassy.
The facts
The shooting happened at 8:34 a.m. on Wednesday, near the entrance of the embassy building, according to a consulate statement. The Lebanese Army shot and severely wounded a gunman, who was then arrested and taken to hospital for treatment.
"Thanks to the quick response" of the Lebanese security forces and the embassy security team, "our facility and our team are safe," the embassy said in a statement shortly after the incident. The embassy was closed only for the day.
U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at a press conference in Washington that the gunfire had injured "a member of the embassy's local guard."
When asked by a reporter about the identity of the shooter, Miller said, "We know that the individual who was arrested was wearing what appears to be insignia of the Islamic State, but we are conducting a thorough investigation with Lebanese authorities."
Later in the day, the army arrested five suspects in the Majdal Anjar area (Bekaa), three of whom were close to the shooter, including his brother and an Imam. Explosive devices and bomb-making materials were allegedly found at the brother's residence, a security source told L'Orient Today's correspondent in the Bekaa.
An army source denied reports that other shooters were on the run, but, according to OT's correspondent, the military was continuing its searches in the Bekaa.
A judicial source told AFP that the shooter claimed "to have carried out this attack to support Gaza," where the Israel has been carrying out a devastating military operation for nearly eight months. U.S. President Joe Biden regularly emphasizes America's "iron-clad support" for Israel, which is on trial for genocide at the International Court of Justice.
"An investigation is underway to determine the circumstances of the incident and to arrest all those involved," a statement from the office of caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati claimed, adding that Ambassador Lisa Johnson is out of the country.
Caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi initially told al-Arabiya that "the embassy attacker transported explosives from Majdel Anjar to Awkar," but went back on his statement later, saying that the attacker had transported not "explosives," but "the items he was carrying in a suitcase" from Majdel Anjar to Awkar.
"He crossed several roadblocks, which is suspicious," the minister said without giving further details.
'More risks'
According to a L'Orient-Le Jour journalist who visited Awkar two hours after the attack, the army had cordoned off at least one kilometer around the embassy and was checking any cars that approached, but the surrounding shops remained open.
Raphael, a telephone salesman living near the embassy, said that "the situation is back to normal,” but residents of the area remained in the dark regarding the incident’s details.
"We used to say that the area is safe thanks to the presence of the American embassy, but now we feel that we are at greater risk, because of the regular demonstrations and shootings,” he said.
Last September, a 26-year-old Lebanese man armed with a Kalashnikov fired over a dozen bullets at the US embassy building one night. No one was injured. The man was arrested and confessed, according to the police, to shooting in "revenge" for having been humiliated by security personnel.
This article originally appeared in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.
