Casepin
Back to cases

Active case

1982 French Embassy Bombing in Beirut

UNSOLVED1982French Embassy, Beirut, Lebanon3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

Overview

On the morning of 24 May 1982, a car bomb detonated inside the compound of the French embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. Reported death tolls differ: one account lists ten Lebanese people and two French people killed, while another gives a total of 11 dead; 27 people were wounded.

Background

The bombing occurred during the Lebanese Civil War, amid a series of attacks affecting French interests in Lebanon. On 4 September 1981, French Ambassador Louis Delamare was assassinated. On 15 April 1982, Guy Cavallo, an encryptor at the embassy, was killed. On 22 April 1982, an attack on Rue Marbeuf in Paris targeted a Lebanese journalist. Two days later, a rocket attack targeted the premises of the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency in Beirut.

The Attack

The bombing took place on Monday, 24 May 1982, at approximately 8:10 a.m. A car — a Renault 12 belonging to Anna Cosmidis, secretary of the embassy's economic service — exploded as she entered the embassy gate. The blast killed Cosmidis along with four other embassy staff members, a paratrooper, a plumber, and two ushers. Additional victims included people who were queuing in front of the diplomatic representation at the time of the explosion. One reported total was 11 dead and 27 injured.

Status

The case remains without identified or adjudicated perpetrators.

Key facts

Victims
Guy Cavallo, Louis Delamare, Anna Cosmidis
Date
1982
Location
French Embassy, Beirut, Lebanon
Case status
unsolved

Case timeline

  1. 1981-09-04

    French Ambassador Louis Delamare was assassinated.

  2. 1982-04-15

    Guy Cavallo, an encryptor at the French embassy, was killed.

  3. 1982-04-22

    An attack on Rue Marbeuf in Paris targeted a Lebanese journalist.

  4. 1982-04-24

    A rocket attack targeted AFP premises in Beirut.

  5. 1982-05-24

    A car bomb exploded inside the French embassy compound in Beirut at approximately 8:10 a.m., killing 11 people and wounding 27 others.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Guy Cavallo

    VICTIM

    Encryptor at the French embassy, killed on 15 April 1982 in a related attack.

  • Louis Delamare

    VICTIM

    French Ambassador to Lebanon, assassinated on 4 September 1981 in a related series of attacks on French interests.

  • Anna Cosmidis

    VICTIM

    Secretary of the French embassy's economic service; owner of the car used in the bombing; killed in the explosion.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

French Embassy, Beirut, Lebanon

33.8938, 35.5018

View on the map

Common questions

What happened to the victim?
A car bomb exploded inside the French embassy compound in Beirut on the morning of 24 May 1982, killing at least eleven people and wounding 27 others amid a series of attacks on French interests in Lebanon.
Where did the bombing happen?
French Embassy, Beirut, Lebanon.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: unsolved.
More cases in Lebanon

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDIC1982 French embassy bombing in BeirutWikipedia · 2026-07-10
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — The New York TimesThe New York Times · 2026-07-10
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — archive.wikiwix.comarchive.wikiwix.com · 2026-07-10

Record history

First published
JUL 11, 2026