Syrian gunman opens fire on US embassy in Lebanon

A Syrian gunman has opened fire on the US embassy north of Beirut, the Lebanese army has said.

Soldiers shot and wounded the assailant, identified only as a Syrian national, according to a statement posted online. The gunman has since been taken to hospital.

The US embassy said the attack, which occurred on Wednesday morning at around 8:34am local time, was “in the vicinity of the entrance,” though the facility and team remain safe.

“Investigations are underway and we are in close contact with host country law enforcement,” the US embassy said in a statement.

Lebanese army units have been deployed in the area surrounding the embassy.

Local media reported sounds of gunfire, while the roads leading to the embassy are now sealed.

A security source told Reuters that one member of the embassy’s security team was injured in the attack, and that the Lebanese army also wounded one of the attackers. The Lebanese military is reportedly searching the surrounding area to apprehend any other attackers.

It is not yet clear what motive the alleged gunman may have had, though the shooting comes at an extraordinarily tense time in the Middle East region.

The US has been heavily criticised over its support for Israel in the war with Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist group.

The Israeli military offensive against Hamas has pushed the death toll to more than 36,000 in a brutal eight months of fighting in the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory.

Ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire have yet to succeed and are at an impasse.

Fears are growing that the Israeli military will launch a significant attack into Lebanon, where another militant group, Hezbollah, is based.

Hezbollah has been engaging in skirmishes with the Israeli army along the shared – and disputed – Israel-Lebanon border.

Like Hamas, Hezbollah is backed by Iran – Israel’s long-time regional rival.

While Hezbollah has indicated it does not want to escalate to full-out war with Israel, the group has continued to pressure Israel with smaller attacks as a way to show support for Hamas, and to distract Israel from honing all its capabilities on Gaza.

The US embassy in Lebanon was attacked last September, when a Lebanese man opened fire at the facility, though no casualties were sustained.

The following month, hundreds of people protesting the current war in Gaza clashed with Lebanese security forces.

The US embassy in Lebanon is located in Aukar, just north of the Lebanese capital of Beirut, having relocated there following a deadly bombing attack in 1983 that killed more than 60 people. US officials have accused Hezbollah for the attack.

Another bomb attack hit the new embassy location in Aukar the following year.