A GUNMAN was captured by Lebanese soldiers after attempting to attack the US embassy in north Beirut today.

The incident took place as tensions continued to simmer in Lebanon, where months of cross-border artillery, rocket and drone attacks between Hezbollah and Israeli troops have displaced thousands of people, following years of political deadlock and economic hardship.

A Lebanese military statement said that soldiers had shot and wounded an assailant, described only as a Syrian national, who was taken to hospital.

The motives of the shooter were not clear, but local media published pictures appearing to show a bloodied attacker wearing a black vest with the words “Islamic State” written in Arabic and IS in English.

Local media reported that there had been a gunfight for almost half an hour outside the US diplomatic mission in the suburb of Aukar.

A Lebanese security official told reporters that there had been four assailants, including one who drove the gunmen to the site and three who opened fire.

One was killed, one escaped and the third was wounded and detained by the Lebanese military. 

The US embassy said the morning attack by the embassy’s entrance had not caused any casualties among the staff and that Lebanese troops and embassy security had mobilised quickly.

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s office said in a statement that he had been informed, following meetings with the defence minister and army commander, that the situation was stable and that serious investigations were under way.

The military said it had deployed troops around the embassy and surrounding areas.

A 1983 bomb attack on the US embassy, then located in central Beirut, killed 63 people, after which it was moved to Aukar.

The new embassy building was hit by another bombing on September 20 1984.