BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Two Syrian men who are missing in Beirut are believed to have been abducted, Lebanese security officials said Monday.
Security forces told Lebanese newspaper The Daily Star on condition of anonymity that two Syrian men are missing. The police said they were likely abducted by unidentified men in a four-wheel drive vehicle from the Ashrafieh district in Beirut.
A series of abductions of Syrians across Lebanon recently have sparked fears the conflict in Syria may be spilling across the border.
The governments of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates last week called on their citizens to leave Lebanon, given the rise of kidnappings in the country.
"Kidnapping, whether for ransom or political motives, remains a problem in Lebanon," a May warning from the U.S. State Department read.
Damascus held considerable influence over Lebanese affairs until the Cedar Revolution in 2005 secured more autonomy for Beirut.
Clashes between pro- and anti-Syria elements have erupted sporadically along the Lebanese-Syrian border.
A senior Lebanese political source told the newspaper last week that recent events are an indication Lebanon is on the "brink of major chaos."
