Syria withdraws 33% of troops ahead of new Lebanon talks

SYRIA has withdrawn nearly a third of its troops from Lebanon, a senior officer said yesterday.

The Lebanese foreign minister said a date for a complete withdrawal would not be set until an April 7 meeting of the military leadership of the two countries, however.

The senior Syrian officer said about 4,000 soldiers had crossed the border into Syria since the pull-out began on Tuesday and the remaining 10,000 were in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley.