Shots fired near US embassy in Lebanon, Reuters

Beirut – Shots were fired near the U.S. embassy in Lebanon late on Wednesday but no injuries were reported, embassy spokesperson Jake Nelson said.

“At 10:37 PM local time, 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. We are in close contact with host country law enforcement authorities,” Nelson said.

The highly secured U.S. embassy lies north of Beirut in the town of Awkar. Security incidents around it are rare.

The embassy moved there from Beirut following a suicide attack in 1983 which killed more than 60 people.

The attack eventually led to the withdrawal of the international peacekeeping force from Lebanon, where they had been stationed following the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) withdrawal in the aftermath of Israel‘s 1982 invasion of Lebanon.

Reuters