Jan 15, 2008 12:00 pm US/Eastern
Attack On US Vehicle In Beirut Kills 4
Lebanese Security Officials Are Reporting Casualties
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) ―
An explosion targeted a U.S. Embassy vehicle Tuesday in northern
Beirut, killing four Lebanese and injuring a local embassy employee, an
American official said.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said two
embassy employees — including the driver — were in the vehicle damaged
in the blast, which could be heard across the Lebanese capital and sent
gray smoke billowing near the Mediterranean coast.
The driver was slightly wounded and the other staffer is fine,
McCormack told reporters. He said no U.S. citizens or diplomats were in
the vehicle.
McCormack said four Lebanese were killed in the explosion.
A senior U.S. official, who was not authorized to release the
information and spoke condition of anonymity, said no Americans injured
or killed.
The security official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line
with military rules, told The Associated Press the explosion was in the
predominantly Christian Dora-Karantina neighborhood.
Television footage showed several damaged cars, including an SUV
with tinted windows, similar to those used by U.S. diplomats.
Plainclothes security agents were seen removing an automatic rifle from
the SUV.
In the past three years, a series of explosions in Lebanon have targeted mainly anti-Syrian politicians and journalists.
The last car bombing on Dec. 12 in Beirut's suburb of Baabda killed Lebanese army Maj. Gen. Francois Hajj and two other people.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — An explosion targeted a U.S. Embassy vehicle
Tuesday in northern Beirut, and there were casualties, a senior
Lebanese security official said. The state-run National News Agency
said at least two people were killed.
Neither NNA nor the security official gave nationalities of the casualties.
The explosion was heard across the Lebanese capital, and gray smoke billowed near the Mediterranean coast.
The security official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line
with military rules, told The Associated Press the explosion was in the
predominantly Christian Dora-Karantina neighborhood.
He said an American vehicle was believed to be the target. There were casualties, he said, but did not elaborate.
A Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation correspondent who happened to be
in the area reported seeing the charred body of at least one person
killed in the blast. The station also reported a person wounded in a
car belonging to the American Embassy.
Television footage showed several damaged cars, including an SUV
with tinted windows, similar to those used by U.S. diplomats.
Plainclothes security agents were seen removing an automatic rifle from
the SUV.
In the past three years, a of explosions in Lebanon have targeted mainly anti-Syrian politicians and journalists.
The last car bombing on Dec. 12 in Beirut's suburb of Baabda killed Lebanese army Maj. Gen. Francois Hajj and two other people.
(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
