Late on Wednesday, gunshots were reported outside the heavily-fortified U.S. Embassy in Awkar, a northern suburb of Beirut.The incident was confirmed by a U.S. embassy spokesperson on Thursday.
Jake Nelson, the U.S. embassy spokesperson, stated that “small arms fire was reported in the vicinity of the entrance to the U.S. embassy. There were no injuries, and our facility is safe.” The embassy compound, known for its high security, remained unaffected by the incident.
The shooting incident coincided with the anniversary of a deadly 1984 car bombing outside the U.S. embassy annexe in Beirut. However, it remains unclear whether the shooting was directly related to this anniversary.
The local authorities have been notified and are currently investigating the incident. Further details will be provided as they become available.