Embassy personnel remain under strict travel restrictions, and all US citizens are urged to take additional security precautions."Beirut (ANTARA News/AFP) - The United States warned Friday that its nationals face increased threats to their security in Lebanon, including the possibility of targeted kidnappings or terrorist attacks.
"The US embassy has received reports of an increased possibility of attacks against US citizens in Lebanon," the embassy said in a statement.
"Possible threats include kidnapping, the potential for an upsurge in violence, the escalation of family or neighbourhood disputes, as well as US citizens being the target of terrorist attacks in Lebanon."
The embassy also announced the suspension of the State Department`s flagship Fulbright and English Language Fellow programmes in Lebanon, cutting short research projects and teaching grants for US university students and educators in Lebanon.
"Embassy personnel remain under strict travel restrictions, and all US citizens are urged to take additional security precautions," it said.
Lebanon has been grappling with heightened security fears after a spate of kidnappings this week in retaliation for incidents in Syria, rattling a country where the scars of its own 1975-1990 civil war still run deep.
Several oil-rich countries of the Gulf have ordered their nationals to leave the country immediately in the face of threats, particularly against Saudis and Qataris whose governments are staunch opponents of the Damascus regime.
Turkey also advised its nationals on Friday to avoid non-essential travel to Lebanon after the kidnappings which included two Turkish citizens. (RN)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
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