Explosion in Beirut targets U.S. Embassy vehicle

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — A bomb hidden on a Beirut highway hit a U.S. Embassy vehicle Tuesday, killing at least three Lebanese bystanders in the first attack in years targeting American diplomatic interests in the country.

The car’s Lebanese driver and an American at a nearby school were among five people injured.

The blast, just before a farewell reception for the U.S. ambassador in downtown Beirut, came at a time when political tensions are high in Lebanon, with the U.S.-backed government and Syrian-backed opposition deadlocked over choosing a new president.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expressed “outrage” over the attack, calling it an act of terrorism.

“The United States will, of course, not be deterred in its efforts to help the Lebanese people, to help the democratic forces in Lebanon, to help Lebanon resist force and interference in their affairs,” Rice said.