Australian govt urges citizens to leave Lebanon

Canberra: The Australian government has urged its citizens in Lebanon to leave the Middle East country as soon as possible over “volatile security situation”.

In a statement on social media on Sunday , Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong warned Australians in Lebanon that the ongoing conflict in the area could lead to the closure of Beirut airport, Xinhua news agency reported.

“Australians in Lebanon should leave now, while commercial flights remain available,” Wong said.

“If armed conflict increases, it could affect wider areas of Lebanon and close Beirut airport. The Australian government may not be able to assist you to leave,” she added.

It comes two days after Wong said Australians in Lebanon should “consider” leaving, citing the government’s serious concerns over the “volatile security solution” in the country.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) on Saturday updated its travel advice for Lebanon, warning Australians against visiting the country and telling citizens already there to register with its crisis registration portal.

The government has chartered repatriation flights for Australians in Israel and Palestinian territories out of Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport but has not organized any out of Lebanon.

Minister for Defence Richard Marles on Wednesday confirmed two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircraft and support troops have been deployed to the Middle East as a “contingency” to evacuate Australians.

(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)