Britons helped out of under-siege Lebanon
Britons helped out of under-siege Lebanon
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Sixteen people have died in the Lebanese town of Tyre after the port was hit by Israeli artillery, while at least seven were killed in a similar attack upon a border town, following on from eight civilian deaths in Haifa this morning. |  |
Monday, 17, Jul 2006 12:44
The British government has begun to evacuate its citizens from Lebanon as the situation in the Middle East continues to deteriorate, the Foreign Office (FCO) has confirmed.
About 40 of the most vulnerable Britons were evacuated by RAF helicopter this morning, an FCO spokeswoman said.
"A Rapid Deployment Team (RDT) from the FCO has arrived in Beirut to assist British nationals," the spokeswoman added.
"A military reconnaissance team has also arrived to carry out detailed planning for a possible evacuation.
"We were able to make use this morning of UK helicopters that brought in the RDT and [European Union foreign policy chief Javier] Solana to help about 40 of the most vulnerable British nationals leave."
The Britons are being taken to Cyprus while Royal Navy ships HMS Illustrious and HMS Bulwark are waiting in the region to carry out mass evacuations when it is deemed appropriate.
Israel has imposed land, sea and air blockades on Lebanon as it steps up its operations following last week's Hizbullah rocket attacks and the kidnapping of three of his soldiers.
Air strikes have continued over the weekend and the main Beirut-Damascus highway has been closed, making evacuation difficult.
As the British government continues to monitor the security situation in the region, it has advised its remaining citizens in Lebanon – believed to be between 4,000 and 5,000 – to keep a low profile.
"For the moment we are advising British nationals in Lebanon to stay put, exercise caution, keep in touch with the embassy and heed local advice," the FCO said.
"British nationals in Lebanon should listen to the BBC and other English language broadcasts. We are advising British nationals in Lebanon who want to leave to get ready for departure at short notice, including by having travel documents in order, but no decision to evacuate has yet been taken."
International leaders at the G8 summit in St Petersburg yesterday urged both Israel and Hizbullah to exercise restraint and attempt to find a diplomatic resolution to the conflict.