April 18, 1983:
A suicide bomber crashes a truck into the front of the US Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon before detonating approximately 2,000 pounds of explosives. A Multinational Force composed of U.S. and European military personnel, entered Lebanon to help the Lebanese government maintain stability during the third phase of the Lebanese Civil War, and was met with backlash among extremist groups, namely the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Islamic Jihad Organization. The Islamic Jihad Organization later claimed responsibility for the bombing. —(CIA)
Impact:
- 63 fatalities (including 17 Americans)
- Approximately 120 injured
Related Resources:
- HSDL In Focus: Suicide Bombers Global Terrorism
- Serial No. 109-4: Urging the EU to Add Hezbollah to its Wide-Ranging List of Terrorist Organizations; and Expressing Condolences and Sympathy to the People of the Kingdom of Spain for the March 11, 2004 Terrorist Attacks in Madrid: Markup before the Subcommittee on Europe and Emerging Threats of the Committee on the International Relations, House of Representatives, One Hundred Ninth Congress, First Session on H. Res. 101 and H. Res. 99, March 8, 2005
- In the Spotlight: Hezbollah (Party of God)
- HSDL search results for: US Embassy Beirut
Photo: (Credit: US Army) A view of damages to the U.S. Embassy caused by a terrorist bomb attack. Marines are here participating as members of a multinational peacekeeping force.