Russia has advised its nationals not to travel to Lebanon following an attack on the Russian embassy in the capital, Beirut, earlier this month.

A Foreign Ministry statement said this was due to a recent exacerbation of the situation in Lebanon as a result of what it described as intensified activities by extremist forces.

Ten days ago, a Palestinian gunman attacked the Russian embassy in Beirut with rocket-propelled grenades and bullets in a show of solidarity with Muslim rebels in Chechnya.

The gunman and a Lebanese policeman, were killed, but no-one inside the Russian embassy compound was hurt.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service