US warns citizens against travel to Lebanon

The U.S. Embassy in Beirut warned Sunday its citizens not to travel to Lebanon, urging those already in the country to avoid hotels, shopping centers and public events. In a security message on the social network Twitter, the embassy cautioned "following recent bombings in Beirut and other instances of violence that have occurred in Lebanon in recent months, the U.S. government strongly urges U.S. citizens in Lebanon to exercise extreme caution and to avoid hotels, western- style shopping centers, including western-style grocery chain stores, and any public or social events where U.S. citizens normally congregate." It added "these sites are likely targets for terrorist attacks for at least in the near term", urging "all U.S. citizens to avoid travel to Lebanon due to safety and security concerns." It noted that U.S. citizens living and working in Lebanon " should understand that they accept risks in remaining and should carefully consider those risks," pointing out that "the ability of U.S. government personnel to reach travelers to provide emergency services may be limited." The U.S. State Department has already warned U.S. citizens on several occasions to avoid all travel to Lebanon and recommended those in the country to make plans to leave.