The Lebanese army said it had shot and injured a Syrian man who attempted to attack the US Embassy in Beirut on Wednesday morning.

Local media reported that the attempted attack and the ensuing gun battle with the army lasted nearly 30 minutes.

The embassy released a statement on X, formerly Twitter, acknowledging the attack and that the situation had ended, noting that an investigation was underway.

The Lebanese army said it had shot and wounded the gunman.

"Army personnel deployed in the area responded to the sources of fire, wounding the shooter," the statement said, adding that "he was arrested and transported to hospital."

Another suspect was arrested hours later following a manhunt in the area, state news agency NNA reported. 

The attack occurred at the entrance of the facility located in the northern Beirut suburb of Awkar.

"Army units deployed around the US Embassy in Awkar are conducting an inspection of the surrounding area and working to implement the necessary security measures to maintain the security of the area," read a Lebanese army post on the incident.

The US diplomatic mission in Beirut has come under attack a number of times over the past several decades, the deadliest of these incidents killed 63 people in 1983.

js/ab (AP, Reuters)