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A British woman employed at the UK embassy in Lebanon has been found murdered, a senior foreign official official said on Sunday.

Rebecca Dykes' body was found at the side of a motorway on Saturday.

Senior police officials told media that Dykes' body showed signs of strangulation, while senior officials told AFP that the murder does not appear to be politically motivated.

"Our first impression is that it's not politically motivated," an official involved in the investigation told the agency.

Dykes worked in Beirut as a programme and policy manager for the Department for International Development, BBC reported.

Her family issued a statement confirming Rebecca's death and requesting privacy.

"We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Rebecca. We are doing all we can to understand what happened. We request that the media respect our privacy."

The UK foreign office said it is following up on the case and working with Lebanese police investigating the murder.

"Following the death of a British woman in Beirut, we are providing support to the family," a foreign office spokesman said.

"We remain in close contact with local authorities. Our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time."