(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-05-09 21:49

BEIRUT  -- Saudi Arabia and Kuwait on Friday began  evacuating their nationals from Lebanon, where riots sweeping the country have left at least eight dead over the past three days , local New TV reported.

Kuwaiti Embassy in Lebanon evacuated the first batch of Kuwaiti nationals residing or studying in troubled Lebanon by land to neighboring Syria on Friday, said the report.

Up to 150 Kuwaiti citizens including 30 students boarded large buses heading toward the Lebanese-Syrian border, it added.

On Thursday, a total of 70 Saudis were evacuated by Saudi Embassy via Syria too, the report said, adding that more Saudi nationals were leaving Friday through the arrangement of the embassy.

The Saudi embassy has sent SMS messages to Saudi citizens, telling them to contact the embassy for evacuation, it said.

The evacuation came as clashes between the government supporters and the opposition Hezbollah entered a third day after Lebanese government decided to probe a communications network Hezbollah has set up and to reassign the head of airport security over his alleged links to the group.

At least eight people were reported dead and 40 others injured during the violence.