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Lebanon: Israeli troops start withdrawing from two more areas

22 September 2006 – Israeli troops today started to withdraw from two more areas that they had occupied in southern Lebanon during the fighting with Hizbollah last month, and the United Nations force commander there said he expected a total withdrawal to be completed by the end of next week.

Indian and Ghanaian Battalions of the enhanced UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) are to set up checkpoints and conduct patrols today in order to confirm the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) withdrawal and coordinate the deployment of Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) into the area tomorrow.

“I welcome the continued withdrawal of IDF from South Lebanon,” UNIFIL Force Commander Major-General Alain Pellegrini said of the moves from the area south of Naqoura and the general area of Mays al Jabal.

“They have vacated most of the territory in the South. I expect the rest of the IDF troops to finalize their withdrawal by the end of the month. We are almost there, and with the assistance of UNIFIL, LAF will very soon be able to take control of the whole South Lebanon including the areas along the Blue Line (separating the two countries),” he added.

Security Council Resolution 1701 that ended the 34 days of fighting between Israel and Hizbollah mandated strengthening the UNIFIL up to a maximum of 15,000 troops. In his latest report to the Council, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said there was a general understanding that Israel would completely withdraw once the UN Force reached 5,000, a step achieved this week, and the Lebanese army was ready to deploy at the full strength of 15,000 troops.