A bomb struck a car belonging to the US embassy north of Beirut on Tuesday, killing at least three people and injuring 20, US, Lebanese and Red Cross officials said, according to DPA. The US embassy issued a statement late Tuesday confirming that one of its vehicles was "involved in an explosion in the Karantina district of Beirut" near Doura. "Two embassy security employees, both Lebanese, were in the vehicle at the time of the explosion. One suffered from minor injuries. No Americans were involved," it said. The statement said that all US staff assigned to the embassy in Beirut were safe and accounted for. In Washington, US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said a US citizen in the area of the blast was slightly hurt. The American was not affiliated with the embassy, he added. "It was very clearly an act of terror, intended in some way to harm people, ..." McCormack said. "I can't tell you what that aim is, because we don't know who is responsible for this." The embassy condemned the blast and extended its condolences to the families of the victims: "The embassy is outraged that there are still those who work to undermine Lebanon's stability through murder and intimidation. The Lebanese people deserve to live in peace and security in an independent and united Lebanon."
