BEIRUT, June 5. /TASS/. The US embassy in Lebanon came under small arms fire, a law enforcement source told TASS.

"A gunman fired shots at the diplomatic mission area, wounding one of the guards," he said. "The attacker was also wounded and detained by Lebanese servicemen," the source added.

According to him, the attacker’s interrogation revealed that he was a Syrian national. His motives are still unknown, the source said.

The Lebanese army, in turn, said in a statement that the Syrian citizen had been admitted to a local hospital under guard.

The Syrian national that attacked the US embassy in Beirut is linked to the Islamic State terrorist organization (IS, outlawed in Russia), the Dubai-based Al Hadath TV channel reported. According to the broadcaster, symbols used by IS militants have been discovered on his rifle.

It has been reported that the attacker was not alone. Army patrols have cordoned off the embassy area in the Avkar district while search is underway for a possible accomplice. 

Meanwhile, the US embassy team is safe after the attack, the diplomatic mission said in a statement.

"At 8:34 a.m. local time, small arms fire was reported in the vicinity of the entrance to the US Embassy. Thanks to the quick reaction of the Lebanese Armed Forces, the Internal Security Forces, 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," the statement reads.