BEIRUT: A British woman employed at the UK embassy in Lebanon has been found murdered, a senior official said on Sunday, adding that the crime did not appear to be political.

“Our first impression is that it’s not politically motivated,” the official, who is involved in the investigation, said.

He confirmed that the victim’s name was Rebecca Dykes but could not elaborate on the exact circumstances of her death.

A statement from the Foreign Office and the family provided no further details. Britain’s Foreign Office in London confirmed the death of the diplomat. It said it was providing support to the family and declined to provide further details.

In a statement released by the Foreign Office, the family requested that the media respect their privacy “at this very difficult time.” “We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Rebecca.

We are doing all we can to understand what happened,” her family said. Friends said she was flying home for Christmas that day.

A Lebanese security official confirmed that the body of a woman was found by the side of a road east of Beirut early on Saturday and that she was later identified as a staffer at the British embassy in Lebanon.

A forensic official said authorities are investigating the exact cause of the woman’s death, and whether she was sexually assaulted. He said the woman, believed to be 30-years old, had been strangled with a rope.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2017