BEIRUT - Hundreds of people flooded Lebanon's border crossings with Syria on Friday to escape the deadly sectarian violence that has shaken the country over the last three days. Crowds of men, women and children gathered at the Arida border crossing in the north and the Masnaa crossing in the east seeking to make their way out of Lebanon, AFP correspondents witnessed.Those fleeing the fighting -- which has threatened to plunge Lebanon into a fresh civil war -- included British, American, German and Cypriots as well as numerous Syrian labourers. Several Arab states have already begun evacuating their nationals from Lebanon, whose only international airport and the Beirut port have been shut down because of the crisis.
Lebanon's international airport has been virtually shut down since Wednesday as anti-government protests escalated with militants blocking the main road with burning tyres and other obstacles. An airport official said all flight had been cancelled on Friday and it was unclear when traffic would resume, adding: "As soon as they open the road, the flights will resume."