LEBANON: TROOPS MOVE TO THWART SMUGGLING FROM SYRIA

Beirut, 2 March (AKI) - Lebanese troops on Thursday took up positions along Lebanon's border with Syria as part of a campaign to curb the smuggling of people and goods across the frontier. The deployment in the Hermel province in the north of the Bekaa Valley marks the first time in decades that Lebanon has taken massive action to secure the area. Last October, Lebanese troops started patrolling part of the 335 killometre-long border, much of which lacks demarcation barriers. Lebanese authorities have also started shoring up with soil some illegal passages used by smugglers criss-crossing the frontier.

During Syria's military presence in Lebanon which ended last April after almost three decades, the border areas were presided by the Syrian military.