BEIRUT — A recent shooting incident at the US Embassy in Lebanon has raised concerns over the rise of extremism in the country, amid the proliferation of small armed groups, besides Hezbollah, that have been involved in cross-border attacks against Israel on the southern border.
On June 5, several gunmen attempted to attack the US Embassy located in the town of Awkar, north of Beirut.
Three men reportedly fired shots using small firearms toward the facility, injuring an embassy guard. The Lebanese army, responsible for embassy security, wounded and arrested a Syrian national involved in the shooting. He was hospitalized for treatment. Some local media reports claim another assailant was killed, while the third remains at large. Lebanese authorities arrested dozens and are conducting further investigation into the incident.
It is not the first time that the US Embassy in Lebanon has faced attacks. Last September, Lebanese security forces arrested a man involved in a shooting at the embassy, who later confessed that he attacked the compound because of a personal grudge against the guards. No injuries were reported.
