On Wednesday morning, gunmen from the Middle East, reportedly linked to the Islamic State terrorist group, targeted a strategically located United States diplomatic mission.
Their reported attempt to enter the U.S. Embassy in Beirut was unsuccessful. However, small arms fire injured one embassy security guard. The Lebanese military released a statement and graphic photographs detailing the aftermath. Pictures of a bloodied suspect showed him wearing a black vest with the words “Islamic State” scrawled in Arabic and “IS” plastered in English.
The photographed attacker was shot but survived, at least initially.
As The Daily Wire reports:
“At 8:34 a.m. local time, small arms fire was reported in the vicinity of the entrance to the U.S. Embassy. Thanks to the quick reaction of the [Lebanese Armed Forces], [Internal Security Forces], and our Embassy security team, our facility and our team are safe,” the U.S. Embassy Beirut wrote on X. “Investigations are underway and we are in close contact with host country law enforcement.”
An embassy spokesman said information about the injured security guard could not be released at this time “with respect to his privacy,” adding, “we wish him a full recovery.”
Last September, a man was detained by Lebanese forces after he similarly opened fire on the U.S. Embassy in Beirut. No one was injured in that attack, according to the AP. A month later, after Hamas launched its attack on Israel, hundreds of Lebanese demonstrators supporting Hamas clashed with police near the U.S. Embassy.
After the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, Lebanon experienced heightened tensions with Israel. Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Lebanese Shia militia and a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the U.S., expressed support for the atrocities. Its members engaged in hostilities with Israel the following day, leading to the most significant escalation between the two countries since the 2006 Lebanon War.
Since its creation in 1982, Hezbollah has been involved in numerous conflicts, particularly with Israel, and is designated as a terrorist organization by over 65 countries. Despite this reputation, Hezbollah continues to play a significant role in Lebanese politics and social services.
The U.S. Embassy in Beirut has been subjected to attacks for decades. In 1983, a Hezbollah bombing on the embassy killed 241 U.S. service members and 58 French military and civilian personnel. The attack forced the U.S. to move its embassy from central Beirut to the suburb of Aukar, which was hit with another bombing attack just a year later that killed 23 people, including two American soldiers.
Following last year's surprise attacks by Hamas and Hezbollah, Israel conducted targeted strikes within Lebanon in the days and weeks that ensued, aimed at eliminating high-value targets in both groups.
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