High risks in Lebanon

The US Department of State is warning travelers to avoid Lebanon because of threats of terrorism plus the possibility of armed clashes, kidnapping and outbreaks of violence, especially near Lebanon’s borders with Syria and Israel.  

Violent extremist groups operate in Lebanon, including the US-government-designated terrorist organizations Hizballah, Daesh (ISIL), Al-Nusrah Front (ANF), Hamas and the Abdullah Azzam Brigades (AAB). Daesh and the ANF have claimed responsibility for suicide bombings in Lebanon.

On Jan. 21, it was reported that Lebanese security forces thwarted an attempted suicide attack at a busy café on Hamra Street in downtown Beirut.