Syria begins final withdrawal from Lebanon

4/7/2005 5:17:00 PM GMT

Syria started on Thursday the final stage of troops pullout from Lebanon, ending 29 years of military presence in Lebanon, which protected the country during its civil war.

With the remaining Syrian troops officially starting their final withdrawal, Syrian Information Minister Mahdi Dakhlallah affirmed that Damascus will pull back all troops from Lebanon before an April 30 deadline.

"The Syrian pullout may take place well before the end of the month, just as it did for the first phase that was due to end at the end of March and actually wrapped up in the middle of the month," Lebanese press quoted Dakhlallah as saying during an interview with Sawa Radio.

"They have a timetable for the withdrawal and they will keep pulling out, unit by unit," he told reporters.

"The process involves all army troops and intelligence forces."

Syrian military personnel vacated a military checkpoint in the Bekaa town of Maksab, witnesses said.

According to Lebanese sources, Syrian troops received orders to dismantle military hardware, load their equipment into vehicles and leave the check post.

Syria has been facing mounting international pressure to end its military presence in Lebanon, specially after the assassination of the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Al Hariri.

And under pressure from the United States and France, Damascus agreed to withdraw all its troops from Lebanon by the end of April in compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1559; demanding an immediate pullout of all foreign troops.