Saudi Arabia's envoy to Lebanon says the kingdom will deport, because of its role in the Syrian civil war, Lebanese citizens who support the militant Hizbullah group.

Ambassador Ali Awad Assiri told Lebanon's Future TV late Wednesday that Saudi Arabia will deport "those who financially support this party."

He didn't say when the deportations would begin.

Saudi Arabia is a strong backer of the mostly-Sunni Syrian opposition trying to remove Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad from power.

Al-Assad belongs to the minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shia Islam. Shia Hizbullah fighters were instrumental in a recent regime victory when government forces regained control of the strategic town of Qusair near the Lebanese border.

There are tens of thousands of Lebanese — including Shias — working in Saudi Arabia.