Syrian arrested

Injured in shots fired at US embassy in Lebanon

Heavily armed security forces guard the area around the US embassy after the incident.(Bild: AP)

Shots have been fired at the US embassy in Lebanon. The embassy in the capital Beirut reported on Wednesday that fire had been opened near the entrance. "Our security team, our facility and our team are safe," it continued.

According to the Lebanese Armed Forces, a suspected gunman was wounded, arrested and taken to hospital. He is said to be a Syrian national.

Security guard injured
According to security sources, a member of the embassy's security forces was injured in the attack. The Lebanese army combed the area for other attackers.

Heavily armed security forces guard the area around the US embassy after the incident.(Bild: AP)

The tightly secured US embassy in the north of the Lebanese capital Beirut(Bild: AP)

The embassy is located in the north of Beirut in a heavily secured zone with several checkpoints on the way to the entrance. It was moved there after a suicide attack in 1983 in which more than 60 people were killed. Shots were fired near the embassy last September, but there were no casualties at the time.

Scene of Gaza protests
In October, at the beginning of the Gaza war, numerous people protested in front of the embassy in solidarity with the Palestinians. Lebanese security forces used tear gas and water cannons to push back the crowd.