UN troops deployed on Lebanese border

Finnish peacekeepers take up position on the border

United Nations peacekeepers have begun deploying troops along the entire length of Lebanon's border with Israel, following authorisation from Beirut.

Troops from six countries set off for the border in convoys of white armoured cars at first light, more than two months after Israel's 22-year occupation came to an end.

In response, Hezbollah guerrillas - who have controlled the area since the Israeli pullout - have been reducing their presence.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak welcomed the deployment, saying in a statement that he hoped it would stabilise the area and "ensure that peace and quiet is maintained along the northern border".

A BBC correspondent on the border, Christopher Hack, says residents are relieved by the arrival of the peacekeepers - the first contingent of a force of 5,000 - but they want the Lebanese army to be deployed in the area as well.

Long deployment

The Lebanese Government has promised to send 1,000 police and soldiers to wrest control from Hezbollah who waged a long war to oust the Israeli troops.

The border has seen continuing tensions despite the withdrawal

Troops of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) began taking up positions in the former occupied zone a week ago, but only received the Lebanese government's permission for full deployment on Friday.

The troops will expand six existing bases and open new posts along the border, with the aim of preventing anyone crossing from either side.

The deployment is expected to take a month, because of the need to clear Israeli mines - a job which a battalion of Ukrainian troops has already begun.

On Friday, Lebanese Prime Minister Selim al-Hoss said Unifil could move into the area after his government had checked that Israel had fully withdrawn from Lebanese soil.

Lebanese and UN experts took several weeks to verify the "blue line" - the line of withdrawal - during which they found a number of small Israeli violations.

Most were due to wire fences or special patrol paths inside Lebanese territory.

Checkpoint dismantled

Hezbollah, which backed by Iran and Lebanon's political master, Syria, has many posts in the area.

The UN will have 20 positions on the border

Last week its guerrillas briefly halted a UN patrol outside the village of Rmaiysh, saying they had no orders to allow the peacekeepers access.

Our correspondent says the guerrillas dismantled a checkpoint outside one border village as the peacekeepers took up position.

Unifil was established in 1978 to help the Lebanese Government regain sovereignty over the southern border zone, which had been invaded by Israel.

However, it was only able to begin this task when Israeli troops withdrew in May.

The force, now commanded by Ghanaian Major-General Seth Kofi Obeng, comprises 5,000 troops from nine countries.