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Lebanese army troops move into south

Atul Aneja

Beirut says the soldiers will neither disarm nor fight Hizbollah; Premier lauds militia fighters

DUBAI: Lebanese troops have begun crossing the Litani river in southern Lebanon to help enforce a U.N. sanctioned ceasefire plan that came into force to end of the 34-day war between Israel and Hizbollah.

Lebanese authorities, however, made it clear that their troops would neither disarm nor fight Hizbollah. "There will be no confrontation between the army and brothers in Hizbollah.... That is not the army's mission," said Information Minister Ghazi Aridi after the two-hour Cabinet meeting.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora praised Hizbollah for successfully countering the Israeli military assault. In a nationally televised address, Mr. Siniora said the resistance had showed that Israel's military was "no longer a force that cannot be resisted, an army that cannot be defeated."

As the Lebanese military began to deploy, hundreds of military vehicles, bearing Lebanese flags, were seen travelling along the coastal road heading towards the south. After crossing the Litani, some formations headed towards the city of Tyre. More troops, disembarking from ships, were expected to join them. Under the United Nations mandate, Lebanon would position 15,000 troops in an area stretching from the Israel-Lebanon border till the Litani, 35 km inside. Another 15,000 U.N. peacekeepers would join them in phases as the Israeli forces withdraw.

In Marjayoun, a key town near the Israeli border that was briefly occupied by Israeli forces during their intrusion, Lebanese forces arrived with 20 tanks along with a dozen trucks carrying troops. The commander, Brig. Gen. Charles Shiekhani, said, "Since 1968, the army has not come here. This is our first time since then."

In a statement, the Israeli military said that around half of its forces had withdrawn from southern Lebanon.

In other signs that normality was beginning to return, the fist civilian flight arrived at Beirut international airport from the Jordanian capital Amman. Airport authorities said the airport could function normally by next week. Israel had imposed an air embargo and a naval blockade soon after hostilities broke out on July 12.

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