Authorities in Lebanon on Monday detained a suspect a day after the body of a female British embassy worker was found strangulated along a highway north of the Capital city of Beirut, AP reported.
The embassy identified the worker as Rebbeca Dykes but did not share details about her death, Reuters reported. Britain’s ambassador to Lebanon, Hugo Shorter, tweeted: “The whole embassy is deeply shocked, saddened by this news.”
The embassy shared a statement released by Dykes’ family. “We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Rebecca,” the family said. “We are doing all we can to understand what happened.”
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said the suspect was the taxi driver who allegedly picked Dykes up from Beirut’s Gemayze neighborhood, which is known for its restaurants and pubs. He then drove to a nearby neighborhood, where she lived, but did not drop her off there. Security cameras showed his car driving to the area where Dykes’ body was found.
Dykes’ LinkedIn page profile describes her role at the embassy as Programme and Policy Manager with the Department for International Development.
A British foreign office spokesperson said the embassy was coordinating with local authorities on the matter, The Guardian reported.
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