British diplomat found dead in Beirut

By Furkan Guldemir

BEIRUT

British diplomat Rebecca Dykes was found dead in the outskirts of the capital Beirut, Lebanese police said Sunday.

Her body was found near a motorway in northeastern Metn district on Saturday evening, police said in a statement.

An autopsy confirmed the body belonged to the 30-year-old diplomat, the statement added.

The British Foreign Office also confirmed the diplomat's death, stating it was in contact with the Lebanese authorities.

Lebanese media reported that the autopsy showed that Dykes was raped and the cause of her death was strangulation.

An investigation into the incident is underway.

Before working for the department of international development in Beirut since Jan. 2017 as a program and policy manager, Dykes served in Iraq and Libya.