The US embassy in Beirut warned American citizens on Thursday to be aware of prevailing “tensions” and “violent incidents” in Lebanon.
In an email to US citizens in Lebanon, the embassy urged them to “continue to monitor news reports, avoid areas where disturbances are reported, and be vigilant about personal security.” Tensions are “high” in Lebanon, the email said, adding that “the potential for protests, road closures, and other violent incidents remains.”
The message follows the weekend killing of two clerics at an army checkpoint in Akkar, a mainly Sunni Muslim region whose inhabitants are hostile to the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The killings ignited street battles in the capital Beirut overnight Sunday-Monday that left two people dead and 18 wounded.
On Wednesday, multiple violent incidents took place in several areas of the capital, which officials said were non-political in nature.
They included a shootout in the Karakass neighbourhood in west Beirut, which left two people dead and six police and army troops injured.
Late last week, the Qatari, Emirati, Bahraini and Kuwaiti authorities issued warnings against travel to Lebanon.
Times on Line
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