JDAIDET YABOUS, Syria - Some 60 Syrian military vehicles carrying troops and equipment crossed the Lebanese-Syrian border early Saturday through this border post 40 kilometres (25 miles) west of Damascus and 70 kilometres (45 miles) east of Beirut.
The repatriation of Syrian soldiers came shortly before the arrival in Damascus of UN envoy Terje Roed-Larsen who was to press Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for a complete and rapid withdrawal of troops from neighbouring Lebanon.
Late Friday the Syrian army had evacuated all its positions in northern Lebanon except for six known intelligence positions, according to a Lebanese military source.
In the mountains overlooking Beirut, the army had just about completed its withdrawal to Lebanon's eastern Bekaa valley, an AFP journalist said.
Invited by the Syrian information ministry to verify the Syrian military pullout from Lebanon, journalists saw 36 trucks, most of them covered, crossing the frontier to be welcomed by a cheering crowd waving Syrian flags and shouting pro-Assad slogans.
Led by military police motor-cyclists, eight big buses each capable of carrying 60 soldiers plus a minibus also crossed the border along with 11 Jeeps carrying officers. Two armoured troop transporters were carried on trailers.
The convoy, moving slowly through the snow, took about 45 minutes to pass through Jdaidet Yabous.
03/12/2005 02:53 GMT