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Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar urge Lebanon exodus | Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar urge Lebanon exodus |
(40 minutes later) | |
Three Arab states have urged their citizens to leave Lebanon amid signs that the conflict in Syria is spilling over into its western neighbour. | |
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar urged immediate action after a string of kidnappings of Sunni Muslims by a powerful Shia clan. | |
They were retaliating for the abduction of a clan member by rebels in Damascus. | |
The rebels say the man was fighting for the Syrian government on behalf of Lebanon's Shia Hezbollah movement. | |
That claim has been denied by his family. | |
Clan warning | Clan warning |
The official Saudi news agency Spa quoted a foreign ministry official as saying Saudi citizens should avoid "travelling to Lebanon for their own safety". | The official Saudi news agency Spa quoted a foreign ministry official as saying Saudi citizens should avoid "travelling to Lebanon for their own safety". |
A UAE foreign ministry official said it issued its alert after the embassy "received information about UAE nationals being targeted and because of the difficult and sensitive circumstances in Lebanon", state news agency Wam reported. | |
The Shia al-Meqdad clan in Lebanon said it had abducted more than 20 people it claimed were connected to Syrian rebels. Most of the men abducted were Syrians but a Turkish national was also reported to be among those seized. | |
Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey are all Sunni Muslim countries that support the Syrian rebels fighting the government of Bashar al-Assad. | Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey are all Sunni Muslim countries that support the Syrian rebels fighting the government of Bashar al-Assad. |
The BBC's Kevin Connolly, in Beirut, says the al-Meqdads, who are thought to be heavily involved in smuggling, have been described as a family with a military wing. | The BBC's Kevin Connolly, in Beirut, says the al-Meqdads, who are thought to be heavily involved in smuggling, have been described as a family with a military wing. |
Lebanon is a popular tourist destination for Saudis and citizens of other Gulf states. | Lebanon is a popular tourist destination for Saudis and citizens of other Gulf states. |
Like Syria's other neighbours - Turkey, Iraq and Jordan - Lebanon has absorbed thousands of refugees fleeing from the conflict. | Like Syria's other neighbours - Turkey, Iraq and Jordan - Lebanon has absorbed thousands of refugees fleeing from the conflict. |
But unlike the other countries, Lebanon risks being plunged into sectarian strife, possibly even civil war, by the strains inflicted on its own delicate internal situation by the Syrian crisis, correspondents say. | But unlike the other countries, Lebanon risks being plunged into sectarian strife, possibly even civil war, by the strains inflicted on its own delicate internal situation by the Syrian crisis, correspondents say. |
Tripoli - Lebanon's second city - has recently witnessed street gun battles between supporters and opponents of President Assad. | Tripoli - Lebanon's second city - has recently witnessed street gun battles between supporters and opponents of President Assad. |