Syria to redeploy troops in Lebanon

Syria is to redeploy around 20,000 troops in Lebanon, the Lebanese army said today.
The news came as border skirmishes between Israeli soldiers and Lebanese guerrillas continued for a second day.

Syria withdrew its troops from Beirut last year in a move widely seen as a concession to resentment from the sizeable Christian minority over its political and military domination of its smaller neighbour.

But in a statement today, the Lebanese army said that Syrian troops would return within a week.

The news of the troop deployment is of especial concern as it comes as Lebanese Hizbullah guerrillas are exchanging fire with Israeli solders in the disputed border area in southern Lebanon