Lebanon has charged a man with affiliation to ISIS following his attack on the US Embassy in Beirut, a judicial source reported on Tuesday.
Last month, a Syrian man was arrested after he opened fire at the entrance of the US Embassy in an assault that involved an exchange of gunfire, resulting in severe injuries to the assailant.
Government Commissioner to the Military Court, acting Judge Fadi Akiki, has charged Syrian national Qais Faraj with membership in the terrorist organization ISIS and conducting a terrorist attack.
Faraj allegedly carried out an armed assault on the US Embassy in the Awkar area on June 5, attempting to kill its guards and possessing unlicensed weapons.
Faraj has not yet been interrogated, as he remains in critical condition at the military hospital in Beirut, recovering from injuries sustained during the incident when Lebanese army personnel returned fire.
Akiki also charged two other individuals with trafficking unlicensed weapons. These suspects reportedly sold Faraj the assault rifle and ammunition used in the embassy attack.
Following the attack, Lebanese authorities detained 20 individuals, including Faraj’s father, brother, and associated clerics. This incident echoes a previous attack in September last year when another gunman fired at the US Embassy, causing no injuries.
That assailant, a delivery driver, claimed he was retaliating against perceived insults from a security official.
This earlier attack coincided with the 39th anniversary of a 1984 car bombing targeting the US Embassy in Awkar, which killed 11 people and injured dozens, an attack for which Washington blamed Hezbollah.
The recent charge against Qais Faraj underscores the ongoing security challenges faced by the US Embassy in Lebanon and highlights the persistent threat posed by terrorist organizations in the region.
