Lebanon army to start Litani deployment Thursday

BEIRUT, Aug 15 (Reuters) The Lebanese army will begin its deployment south of the Litani River on Thursday in line with a UN-brokered truce that halted fighting between Israel and Hizbollah, a senior political source said today.

The source said the 15,000-strong force had started to assemble at different army bases. A security source confirmed the move but an army spokesman said he had no information.

''As we speak, the army is readying the force. They will start deploying on Thursday,'' the source said, adding that army units would deploy in pockets held by Israeli forces in south Lebanon only after Israeli soldiers hand over their posts to UN peacekeepers.

Lebanese Defence Minister Elias al-Murr has said the army will not disarm Hizbollah guerrillas in the south.

REUTERS SP VC2111