Saudi Arabia warns against travel to Lebanon

The Saudi foreign ministry has advised its citizens against travelling to Lebanon "until the return of calm and stability," the official SPA news agency reported on Wednesday.

"Due to the developing situation in the republic of Lebanon, the foreign ministry advises Saudi citizens against travelling to Lebanon during this period until the return of calm and stability," the statement said.

Demonstrations against the appointment of Hezbollah-backed Najib Mikati as prime minister-designate turned violent on Tuesday in Lebanon as protesters burned tyres and temporarily blocked main highways.

Security was tight in Lebanon and several schools remained closed on Wednesday but traffic, disrupted on Tuesday, returned to normal. A heavy army presence could be seen across the country as shops re-opened.

Hezbollah and its allies brought down the government of Western and Saudi-backed Saad Hariri on January 12 after a long-running standoff over a UN-backed probe into the 2005 assassination of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri, Saad's father.

The militant group has said it believes some of its members will be indicted by the Netherlands-based Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which it has denounced as part of a US-Israeli conspiracy.

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