BEIRUT (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has advised its citizens in Lebanon, especially families living there, to leave the country immediately due to the security situation, a Lebanese government source said.
The source said the Lebanese government had confirmed thenews with the Saudi embassy in Lebanon after several Saudinationals said they received a text message with the advice.
The United States said on Thursday it deployed the USS Coleoff the Lebanese coast because it was concerned about thepolitical deadlock in Lebanon. This provoked criticism fromHezbollah and Syria.
Several Kuwaiti nationals said they also received messagestelling them to leave the Mediterranean country immediately.The source said he had no official information about that.
There was conflicting news on whether the Kuwaiti embassyhad issued any warnings.
Last month Saudi Arabia issued an advisory urging itscitizens not to travel to Lebanon because of deterioratingpolitical and security conditions. Kuwait and Bahrain followedwith similar calls.
Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia is a major supporter of theSunni-led government in Lebanon which has been locked in a15-month-old political standoff with an opposition led byIranian-and-Syrian backed Hezbollah.
Tension in the region has also increased after theassassination of a Hezbollah commander in the Syrian capitalDamascus last month. Hezbollah said Israel was behind thekilling of Imad Moughniyah.
(Reporting by Nadim Ladki; Writing by Yara Bayoumy; Editingby Robert Woodward)
