BEIRUT, August 26. /TASS/. The Russian Embassy in Lebanon is in touch with local authorities with regard to the detention of two Russian nationals at an airport in Beirut, a diplomatic source told TASS.

"We are in touch with the Lebanese authorities and are awaiting their permission for a meeting between consular workers and the detainees," the source said. The diplomat did not elaborate on the issue.

Earlier, a source in Lebanon’s General Security Directorate told the Al Akhbar newspaper that last week its operatives had detained a Russian national and his spouse at Beirut airport. It was claimed that the Russian national had been recruited by Israeli intelligence and earlier had visited Lebanon’s southern regions where the facilities of the Hezbollah Shiite militia are located.