According to the BBC, citing senior police officers in Beirut, Rebecca Dykes, 30, was strangled with a rope.
Local media reports said that Dykes was also raped, but the authorities said they are investigating whether she was sexually assaulted.
Dykes had been living and working in Beirut as manager of programs and policies of the Department of International Development since January 2017.
Friends said she was going to fly home for Christmas on Saturday.
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In a statement on Saturday, the British ambassador to Lebanon, Hugo Shorter, said that the whole embassy was “deeply shocked and saddened by this news.”
The whole embassy is deeply shocked, saddened by this news. My thoughts are with Becky’s family, friends and colleagues for their tragic loss. We're providing consular support to her family & working very closely with Lebanese authorities who are conducting police investigation.
— Hugo Shorter (@HugoShorter) 17 декабря 2017 г.
Meanwhile, police in Lebanon have confirmed that they have arrested a Lebanese national in connection with the brutal murder of Rebecca Dykes, Yahoo News reported.
The suspect, identified only by the initials T.H, was arrested at 3am on Monday morning, and is reported to be a local taxi driver.
