ISIS-affiliated terrorists on Wednesday morning opened fire at the US Embassy in Aukar, a northern suburb of Beirut.

The Lebanese army said they shot a terrorist, a Syrian national who was wearing a black vest with the words Islamic State written on it in English and Arabic.

However, local reports said there were four terrorists, including three who opened fire and one who drove the terrorists to the embassy. Two of the terrorists reportedly fled the area.

Witnesses said that a half-hour gun battle took place between the terrorists and security officials next to the embassy.

The terrorist who was shot was evacuated to the hospital. No one else was injured in the incident.

The US Embassy issued a statement saying that “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 LAF, ISF, and our Embassy security team, our facility and our team are safe. Investigations are underway and we are in close contact with host country law enforcement.”

In 1983, a suicide bombing attack on the U.S. Embassy in Beirut killed 63 people, the deadliest attack on a US diplomatic mission up to that time and considered the beginning of Islamic attacks on US targets.

The Islamic Jihad took responsibility for the bombing in a telephone call to a news office immediately after the blast. The anonymous caller said, “This is part of the Iranian Revolution’s campaign against imperialist targets throughout the world. We shall keep striking at any crusader presence in Lebanon, including the international forces.”

The group had earlier taken responsibility for a grenade attack in which five U.S. members of the international peacekeeping force had been wounded.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)