Israel pulls out of Lebanese villages

ISRAELI forces yesterday withdrew from five villages in southern Lebanon and UN troops set up new checkpoints as Lebanese troops rolled into the area.

A UNIFIL statement said the villages Israeli troops withdrew from included Beit Lif, al-Qawzah, Dibel, Ein Ibel and Mhaibeb, all located in the southeast corner of Lebanon near the larger town of Bint Jbail.

“The Unifil Ghanaian Battalion established seven new checkpoints and carried out intensive patrolling in the area, confirming that IDF were no longer present there,” Unifil said.

Afterwards, around 250 Lebanese soldiers moved into the areas, including al-Qawzah, Dibel and Ein Ibel, witnesses and Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported.

The Israeli army spokesman’s office confirmed troops had pulled out of the towns and surrounding areas.

Lebanese soldiers who had been manning checkpoints on the outskirts of Bint Jbail moved for the first time into the town’s centre.

Lebanese troops also deployed in the nearby villages of Ainata and Aitaroun.

A beefed-up UN force that is to be expanded from 2,000 to 15,000 troops is deploying throughout the south with an equal number of Lebanese soldiers as Israeli forces withdraw.

Alexander Ivanko, spokesman for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon known as Unifil, declined to say how much territory in Lebanon is still controlled by Israeli forces.

Small pockets of Israeli soldiers and tanks, some flying the Israeli flag, are scattered across the south, but they largely keep out sight and occupy villas on the outskirts of villages.

Elsewhere in Lebanon, a remote-controlled bomb wounded a senior police officer who played a key role in the investigation into the assassination of a former Lebanese prime minister.

Security officials said four of the officer’s aides and bodyguards were killed.

Lieutenant Colonel Samir Shehade, deputy chief of the intelligence department in Lebanon’s national police force, was taken to the Hammoud hospital in Sidon. Officials there said his condition was stable.

Lt Col Shehade also was involved in the arrest last August of four pro-Syrian Lebanese generals in Lebanon. The four were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the February 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.