Lebanese authorities charge US Embassy shooter with affiliation to militant Islamic State group

A judge at Lebanon’s military court on Tuesday charged the gunman who opened fire at the U.S. embassy near Beirut with being affiliated to the militant Islamic State group, security and judicial officials said.

Lebanese soldiers shot and arrested the gunman in early June, later identified as Kaiss Farraj from Syria, after a shootout that lasted almost 30 minutes and injured an embassy security guard.

The Islamic State group has not claimed responsibility for the attack, nor has any other group.

The attack took place as tensions simmered in the tiny Mediterranean country, where fighting between Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops has displaced thousands along the border, following years of political deadlock and economic hardship.

Lebanese media published photos that appear to show a bloodied attacker wearing a black vest with the words “Islamic State” written in Arabic and the English initials “I” and “S.”

Read more: AP