Hundreds of Jordanian tourists back home from Lebanon

Hundreds of Jordanians vacationing in Lebanon are continuing to make their way back home because of Israel's military offensive in Lebanon, local newspaper Jordan Times reported on Sunday.

According to the report, Jordan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent buses early Friday to its embassy in Lebanon to secure the return of Jordanians.

Around 200 Jordanians were brought home safely on Friday and an additional three buses were dispatched on Saturday, said the Jordan Times.

Thousands of tourists have been scrambling to flee Lebanon since Israel launched its ground, sea and air attacks on the country early Wednesday.

It is difficult to determine how many Jordanian citizens currently remain in Lebanon, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is coordinating bus transportation for Jordanians with assistance from the Lebanese and Syrian embassies.

More buses would be dispatched on demand, according to the ministry.

Lebanon is a popular holiday destination for Gulf and European tourists at this time every year.

The only means of leaving Lebanon is currently by road through the Masnaa border crossing in Syria after Israel imposed an air and sea blockade against Lebanon.

The report said that more than 12,000 Gulf nationals, as well as Jordanian, Syrian and Iranian tourists, fled Lebanon through the Masnaa main crossing point leading to Syria on Friday.

Syrian officials said they had eased border procedures at the crossing, which is the last remaining exit out of the country.

Source: Xinhua