Missing U.S. citizen found dead in Lebanon

[News_Editor]

Missing U.S. citizen found dead in Lebanon

2011-12-21 23:10:17 GMT+7 (ICT)

BEIRUT (BNO NEWS) -- Lebanese security officials on Tuesday found the body of missing American John Redwine in a remote mountainous area of the country, local media reported on Wednesday. He had been missing for three days.

Security officials told The Daily Star that John Redwine apparently died while hiking in the rugged mountainous region of Sannine. "As a result of the search operation, John Redwine was found dead in the mountain region of Sannine," a statement from the Lebanese Army said, as quoted by the newspaper.

The army statement said the body of the 33-year-old U.S. citizen was transported to a regional hospital for an examination, but officials would not comment on whether foul play was suspected. More details were to be released after an autopsy has been completed.

In Washington, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland also confirmed the death of Redwine and expressed condolences to his family and friends. She added that the Lebanese government is investigating the case.

Some 100 personnel from both the Lebanese Army and the Internal Security Forces took part in the search operation for Redwine. The operation began after Redwine's wife, Irina, lost contact with her husband on December 17 and contacted the U.S. Embassy after her arrival in Lebanon.

Bahaa al-Koussy, director of the U.N. Information Center in Beirut, told The Daily Star that Redwine worked for the Beirut office of BGR, a German federal institute for geosciences and natural resources that has been cooperating with the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) since 1992.

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