S. Korea expands travel ban in southern Lebanon amid deadly conflict

South Korea's foreign ministry said Friday it plans to issue a travel ban on a wider region in southern Lebanon amid escalating conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group. The ministry said it will apply the highest travel alert of Level 4 to a wider area in southern Lebanon, covering the governorates of Nabatieh and South, effective from Saturday. The ministry has imposed a Level 3 travel alert, which strongly advises South Koreans in the region to leave the country, for most of Lebanon, except for the border area with Israel, where a travel ban had already been issued. "We strongly urge South Korean nationals staying in Lebanon and Israel to promptly leave the countries via available flights," the ministry said in a statement. The number of South Korean nationals currently in Lebanon, Iran and Israel is 30, 110 and 460, respectively, according to the ministry. In a separate statement, the ministry also condemned Israel for carrying out an attack against the United Nations Interim Force i n Lebanon (UNIFIL). "We express deep concern over the Israeli military's recent attack on the facility and personnel of UNIFIL, and condemn all activities that threaten its safety," the ministry said. The statement came after UNIFIL reported that two people were injured at its headquarters in southern Lebanon following an attack by an Israeli tank. Source: Yonhap News Agency