Syrian Air Defenses Withdrawn from Bekaa Valley

Syria is thinning out its military presence in east Lebanon's Bekaa Valley although a clear-cut timetable for the second and final stage of evacuation has to be worked out by a joint military committee in the next two weeks.

Troops were seen dismantling Syria's air defenses across the Bekaa for a fifth straight day Sunday and crossing into central Syria in long convoys of armored personnel carriers, military trucks and armored cars towing dozens of anti-aircraft guns, international news agencies reported on Monday.

One convoy of 35 military trucks loaded with soldiers, equipment, ammunition and towing anti-aircraft guns crossed into Syria proper at the Masnaa border checkpoint late Sunday, The AP reported.

The convoys abandoned positions in the Deir Zanoun hills near Anjar in the valley close to the border and near a Syrian army radar station in the central Lebanese mountains.

Syrian soldiers also were dismantling eight other positions near the city of Baalbek and were to leave after midnight, according to The AP.

The AFP said Syrian troops and their military equipment evacuated positions at the Baidar pass in 10 military trucks at nightfall Sunday and crossed into Syria, towing several pieces of ground-to-air artillery.

"The withdrawals that took place in the Bekaa involved only air defenses," The AFP quoted a Syrian officer as having said late Sunday. "We finished with these positions today. The rest will take place after the meeting of the joint Syrian-Lebanese military commission," which is scheduled for early April.