A British diplomat has been found strangled by the side of the road east of the Lebanese capital Beirut, Lebanese officials say
Authorities are investigating whether she was also sexually assaulted.
Britain's Foreign Office in London confirmed the death of the diplomat, named by British media and her friends as Rebecca Dykes.
It said it was providing support to the family and declined to provide further details. A spokesperson at the embassy in Beirut also confirmed the death but didn't name the diplomat.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
In a statement released by the Foreign Office, the family requested that the media respect their privacy "at this very difficult time".
"We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Rebecca. We are doing all we can to understand what happened," her family said on Sunday.
A spokesperson at the embassy in Beirut also confirmed the death but didn't name the diplomat.
"The whole embassy is deeply shocked and saddened by this news," said British ambassador to Lebanon Hugo Shorter in a statement. "Our thoughts are with Becky's family, friends and colleagues for their tragic loss."
Friends said she was flying home for Christmas on Saturday.
A Lebanese security official confirmed that the body of a woman was found by the side of a road east of Beirut early on Saturday and that she was later identified as a staffer at the British embassy in Lebanon.
A forensic official told The Associated Press authorities are investigating the exact cause of the woman's death and whether she was sexually assaulted. He said the woman, believed to be 30 years old, had been strangled with a rope.
Dykes was working as a program and policy manager with the Department for International Development and as policy manager with the Libya team at the Foreign Office , according to her LinkedIn page.
