Shots fired near US embassy in Lebanon, no casualties
BEIRUT - Gunshots were heard late in the evening near the US embassy in Lebanon, a spokesperson told AFP Thursday morning, reporting no casualties.
"At 10.37pm local time, small arms fire was reported in the vicinity of the entrance to the US Embassy," said embassy spokesperson Jake Nelson.
"There were no injuries, and our facility is safe," he said, adding that the embassy was in "close contact" with law enforcement.
The highly-secured embassy complex is located in the northern Beirut suburb of Awkar.
US diplomatic and military missions in Lebanon were attacked on a number of occasions during the 1975-1990 civil war, when Islamic fundamentalists also kidnapped several US hostages.
The embassy relocated to Awkar after it was struck by a suicide attack in April 1983 that killed 63 people.
Wednesday's incident also coincided with the anniversary of a deadly 1984 car bombing outside the US embassy annex in Beirut, which the US blamed on the Iran-backed Hezbollah. - AFP
