Suleiman Says Lebanese Sides Will Withdraw from Syria 'Soon'

President Michel Suleiman said on Friday that all Lebanese sides began the process of retreating from battles in the neighboring country Syria.

“All parties are in the process of withdrawing their fighters from Syria,” Suleiman said in an interview with BBC Arabic-language service.

He called on all sides to allow the security forces to carry out their tasks and prevent any military infiltration into the country and vice-versa.

Suleiman voiced hope that Hizbullah would also withdraw its fighters from Syria immediately as per the Baabda declaration that calls for disassociating Lebanon from regional conflicts, and to maintain Lebanon's best interest.

“It's in the best interest of all sides to end their involvement in the ongoing conflict in Syria,” the president said.

The president hailed the recent security deployment in the Beirut's southern suburbs, pointing out that it came in light of the latest bombing in the area and to prevent any security chaos.

“Security fears prompted the residents of the area to surveillance the situation in the area so we had to form a force to replace them,” Suleiman added.

Around 1,000 army troops and security forces deployed Monday in Dahieh where Hizbullah normally keeps a tight grip on security.

The security points were established after car bombings in the area killed 27 people on August 15 and wounded more than 50 on July 9.

Following the bombings, Hizbullah turned the southern suburbs into a fortress with guards in civilian clothes policing the streets, stopping and searching cars, and asking motorists for their identity cards.